I'm just a girl
by Hagane
Summary: RuHana? SenHana? MitHana? EveryoneHana? lol. i don't know, you tell me. XD
1. it's just me

Note to all those who care: This fic was a result of many late nights during which I tore my hair out in frustration- wondering how to go about continuing my other fics. The result of which, I am now a half-bald panda. Not.  
  
Note to all those who DON'T give a rat's ass: You don't care? Well, neither do I. Please refer to above note.  
  
Disclaimer: Yes, seeing as almost every other author writes a disclaimer, I presume I'm obligated to the same. So here it goes: SD belongs to non other than Inoue Takehiko- san. I'm just borrowing the characters. I promise to return them but it's an entirely different story if they want to stay. So sue me.  
  
I'm just a girl  
  
  
  
Sakuragi  
  
My name is Hanami. Sakuragi Hanami. I'm just your normal, average sort of teenage girl- I go to school, I study, I play sports....the only problem with me is that I'm not in love with any boy in particular, and that, in itself is a MAJOR problem. Everyone else is in love. So that pretty much sets me apart from everyone else. I don't have a crush on a certain somebody nor do I have a secret admirer, much less a stalker.  
  
Oh yes. I'm 16 years old and in my first year of high school. Today's my first day of school. I don't know anyone here and I don't plan to make any friends. My sole purpose is to get through high school and graduate from Toudai. That's all. I'm not very ambitious.  
  
Right now though, my sole purpose is to find my classroom.  
  
  
  
  
  
I see a group of girls ogling at something. They look harmless enough. So I approach them cautiously. One can never be too certain.  
  
"Ano, sumimaseng," I say, "Would you happen to know where Year 1 Class 1 is?"  
  
They ignore me. Oh well. I leave them to their brainless giggling and consult a particularly odd-looking group of boys.  
  
"Ano ne," I begin again, "would you happen to know where Year 1 Class 1 is?"  
  
They look me up and down. Yes, yes, I know I'm hideous. No need to look so revolted. Their eyes stop at my hair. I contain a sigh. It's always the same thing.  
  
"It's natural," I explain.  
  
They look like they don't believe me. Fine. I'm used to that. No one ever does anyway.  
  
"There." One of them points over my shoulder.  
  
I blink in confusion. "Suman?"  
  
"Your class. Down the hallway."  
  
Oh. How did I miss it? I'd come by that way twice. "Sank yuu." I turn to hurry.  
  
"Matte kudasai. We're in that class too."  
  
  
  
  
  
It finally dawned on me why they looked odd. The boys I mean. One had his hair dyed a startling yellow. Another grew a moustache and the faintest trace of a beard. The other was as round as a barrel, perhaps even more, and the last, well, there didn't seem to be anything wrong with him, but I suppose that's his flaw.  
  
Anyhow, they're in the same class as I am, so I'll see plenty of them whether I like it or not.  
  
Plus, they're a friendly bunch. Which is somewhat disconcerting seeing as I have no intention of making any friends while in Shohoku.  
  
I stayed in class while everyone else went for lunch. I was alone and it felt good. I'm a lonely sort of person so silence and solitude agree with me. Unfortunately, it didn't last long enough. The 4 of them were back within minutes and they plopped themselves around me. I mean, they didn't plop down on the floor around me. They pulled up chairs and plopped on them. Yeah, erm, anyhow, they 'sneaked' in some food from the canteen and offered me some. I declined but at their insistence, I agreed to a sandwich. Then a packet of carrot juice.  
  
As I nibbled on my sandwich, they shot me questions none of which I replied to. The chubby one was stuffing his face full with food. Fascinating. How does he do that? I always thought that our stomachs were no bigger than twice the size of our fist and nowhere near as expandable as a balloon. Now here's a specimen that just proved me wrong. A medical phenomenon. Interesting. Perhaps I could study his habitual pattern? He appears to be the ideal human vacuum, no, a black hole. With more people like him, there'll be less wastage of food and so the pressing need to contain the increasing amount of trash would be greatly reduced. I could win a Nobel prize for this. No, maybe TWO Nobel prizes- the first for a breakthrough scientific discovery, and the second for humanitarian aid and contribution. Hnnnnn....I wonder..  
  
Oh. The normal one is kindly trying to steer the conversation away from the topic- me. Apparently, he's realized that they're not going to get anything out of me. Anyhow, I'd actually started to relax when the topic of discussion shifted to our poor, balding headmaster, Kageyama-sensei, when the bell sounded. Pity. I was starting to like them and was actually considering putting some input into the conversation. Oh well. Back to lessons then.  
  
  
  
  
  
Mito  
  
I've never seen a stranger girl. She's a loner, and so aloof, yet warm and friendly at the same time. How do I define her?  
  
When the lunch bell rang, she actually REMAINED in her seat. Okusu suggested we try to talk to her. I know he wants to hit on her- he likes to prey on the weak and defenseless. But I was curious as well, so I decided, why not?  
  
So we brought back some sandwiches that were 'generously' given to us by this puny kid who's from the same junior high as us. See, it helps to have old 'friends'. Anyhow, she refused them at first, but gave in after we practically begged her to 'sample' one. Anyhow, she accepted the packet of carrot juice readily. Just as I knew she would.  
  
And how did I know?  
  
Well, I could tell from her hair. After all, we are what we eat. And her hair is as red as carrots.  
  
  
  
  
  
Sakuragi  
  
The last class of the day! I can't believe the first day of high school is almost over! This has got to be the finest moment in the history of my pathetic existence that I call my life! A priceless KODAK moment! Where's the film for goodness sake! Never again will I, Sakuragi Hanami, relive this historic moment.....I am exactly 16 years, 2 months, 5 days, 3 hours and 21 minutes old as I say this.  
  
Alas, the school bell tolls and I must tarry on home! Mother awaits my company and I must not disappoint! Farewell dear school! Till we but meet again, be it chanced or fated! For now my love, let us part our ways....  
  
  
  
  
  
Mito  
  
I rest my case. I don't understand her and probably never will. For one, why is there a goofy, lopsided grin on her face? For another, why is she skipping every half a step?  
  
Is she so glad school's over?  
  
  
  
  
  
Rukawa  
  
*yawn*  
  
Well, today went relatively smoothly. I don't see what the big deal about high school is about. They say the transition from junior high to senior high is tough....but what about it? It's no different from junior high.....  
  
.....except maybe I wasn't rudely awakened so often.  
  
*snore*  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
The next day...  
  
Sakuragi  
  
We're supposed to sign up for club activities today. Maybe I'll just walk around and survey the booths. If there's anything to my fancy, I suppose I might consider joining.  
  
Of course, I never counted on the 4 of them to tag along.  
  
What is up with those guys? What do they want from me? They follow me around incessantly like the plague, but far worse than the plague itself. But I wouldn't know. I've never had a plague looming all over me.  
  
Perhaps I may be able to shake them off somehow.  
  
  
  
  
  
Mito  
  
So she thinks she can lose us, eh? We'll see about that.  
  
  
  
  
  
Sakuragi  
  
They're not going to give up are they? Fine then. Neither will I.  
  
*SMACK*  
  
  
  
  
  
Rukawa  
  
What's this?  
  
  
  
Sakuragi  
  
I have to crank my neck all the way up just to take in his full height. Oh my, what have we here?  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Rukawa  
  
*stare* stare*  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Sakuragi  
  
Yes yes, I'm a toad.... aren't we all? Well maybe you won't agree seeing as you're so pretty.  
  
Well whad'dya know? I'm a poet and I don't even know it.  
  
*grin*  
  
Hmmmmm....maybe he can help me here...  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Rukawa  
  
She's using me as a shield. Or, to be more precise, a hiding place. Apparently, she's hiding from someone.  
  
Matte.  
  
I never said I agreed.  
  
Ah hell. I'll just pretend she isn't really behind me, tripping on my shoes every so often.  
  
More importantly, where's the basketball club?  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Mito  
  
K'so. We lost her. Aha! I see a speck of red! It has to be her, the sly creature!  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Sakuragi  
  
They're following a trail. A false trail. I'm going the other way, the cleaner with the red stained mop, the other. Thank goodness for vandals.  
  
Girls are turning red as they see me. Erm, I know I'm ugly, but I still pass for a girl don't I?  
  
Oh. Wait a minute. They're blushing cos of HIM.  
  
Well, that's a relief.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Rukawa  
  
"Rukawa? Rukawa Kaede?" the senior with glasses asked, staring first at me, then at the piece of paper, then at me again.  
  
"Hai." What is it with everyone? Is it so hard to believe that my name is Rukawa Kaede? I mean, what's so spectacular about my name? It's very plain if you ask me.  
  
"Akagi! Rukawa Kaede's in Shohoku and he's just signed up for basketball!"  
  
I resist the urge to roll my eyes. Why the fuss?  
  
A monstrous boy emerged from behind the half-closed gym doors. I wanted to gasp, but I didn't.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Sakuragi  
  
What a monstrosity! A giant of epic proportions! A- -  
  
"A humongous gorilla!"  
  
For some reason, I had just said that last comment out loud. Oops.  
  
  
  
  
  
Rukawa  
  
She called him a gorilla. The very girl who was using me as refuge called Shohoku's basketball captain a gorilla. Some nerve she's got there. He's probably thrice her weight and size and more than a half meter taller.  
  
Still, my sentiments exactly.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Sakuragi  
  
Oh dear. I think I made him mad.  
  
  
  
  
  
Kogure  
  
It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that Akagi's using every ounce of his self-control not to strangle the girl.  
  
I guess it's my cue to intervene and prevent any bloodshed.  
  
"Maa maa, Akagi," I tell him, "she's a girl."  
  
He glares at me as if I were the one who had called him a gorilla.  
  
"She didn't mean it, did you now?" I ask kindly. The girl shakes her head vigorously. "See?"  
  
"Humph." Akagi turns away.  
  
"Are you here to sign up as well?" I ask her again. I take a liking to her immediately- she looks so helpless and vulnerable that I feel obliged to protect her.  
  
"Ara?" she blinked.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Sakuragi  
  
Am I here to sign up for basketball? Who are you kidding pal? Do I look like I can play basketball to you?  
  
I blink at his amazing perception.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Kogure  
  
Awwwwww.... she looks so lost...  
  
"Onamae wa nan desu ka?" I smile at her, " Kotira wa Akagi Takenori san desu. Watashi no namae wa Kogure Kiminobu desu."  
  
Akagi nodded stiffly. Obviously, he hasn't forgiven her yet.  
  
The girl offers the shadow of a smile, still half-hidden behind Rukawa.  
  
"Ano..." I begin, "are you a friend of Rukawa's?"  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Rukawa  
  
Her? My friend?  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Sakuragi  
  
Me? His friend?  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Both  
  
You have got to be kidding.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Kogure  
  
Both of them exchange glances before turning back to look blankly at me. Ooooookkayyyy...  
  
"I'll take that as a 'yes' then."  
  
No reply.  
  
"Erm, so what's your name?" I venture again.  
  
She made no move to answer. Finally, just as I was about to give up waiting for a reply, she opened her mouth.  
  
"Sakuragi Hanami."  
  
"Sakuragi Hanami?" I repeated stupidly.  
  
She nodded.  
  
"Well, Sakuragi-chan, would you like to join the basketball club?"  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Sakuragi  
  
I looked at him. I mean, I really LOOKED at him.  
  
"Okay," I said.  
  
He smiled at me.  
  
So I'm now a member of the basketball club. I suppose it's no better nor any worse than any other club. I mean, its just another club right? 


	2. and pigs fly

Sakuragi  
  
Is it just me or is every pair of eyes staring my way as I walk down the hallway en route to class?  
  
Two girls halt their conversation abruptly as I pass, and turn to stare.  
  
Oooookkaayyyyy. So it is NOT just me.  
  
*sigh* yare yare~  
  
Is it the hair again? I should think that after 3 whole days of seeing me, people would have somewhat gotten used to it. Obviously, I'm very much mistaken.  
  
"Ano...anata wa Sakuragi Hanami?"  
  
I almost jump a foot in the air. A pretty girl is smiling sweetly at me. Shocked, and somewhat annoyed at having been startled to such an extent, I manage to nod and mumble a reply.  
  
"H-hai. Watashi wa Sakuragi Hanami desu."  
  
The girl's smile widens. I stare blankly at her- force of habit. It takes a while before my brain registers anything.  
  
Oh. She's smiling at me right? So that means I'm supposed to smile back...right? Um.  
  
And so I smile.  
  
  
  
  
  
Haruko  
  
Onii-chan wasn't lying when he said that her hair was just screaming for attention. From a distance, it had the effect of the licking flames of a raging fire. Up close, it just rendered you blind.  
  
Onii-chan left out one significant detail though.  
  
Sakuragi Hanami is gorgeous. Drop-dead gorgeous.  
  
Even with that crooked smile on her face.  
  
  
  
Sakuragi  
  
I'm lost. What am I doing here? Did the girl spring from the floor tiles just to smile at me? Why is she even smiling for starters? Was it something I did? Funny, I don't recall doing anything amusing. Unless of course, she finds my strolling down the hallway entertaining. An explanation, anyone?  
  
  
  
  
  
Haruko  
  
She's just staring at me, waiting. Um, waiting?  
  
*think*think*think*  
  
Sou desu! I very nearly forgot! I wanted to ask about basketball!  
  
  
  
  
  
Sakuragi  
  
"Ano, Sakuragi-san, watashi wa Akagi Haruko desu. My brother's the basketball captain," the girl introduces herself, bowing slightly.  
  
Erm, okay.  
  
"Onii-chan told me yesterday that a girl had signed up for basketball. That's a first in the entire history of the club!"  
  
Oooookkkkayyyy.  
  
"When onii-chan told me it was you, I couldn't believe it! I mean, I believe it! But I couldn't believe it!" she gushes, her words stumbling over each other.  
  
Huh? I blink stupidly.  
  
"I just find it hard to believe that you're going to play basketball for Shohoku!"  
  
"Matte ne," I hold a hand up. My head is spinning like a frisbee in the air.  
  
"Hai?" she cocks her head at me, eyes wide and puppy-like.  
  
"Ano..you mean it's an all-boys team?" Oh the nerve of that geek in glasses! Fancy asking me, a GIRL to join a boys' club! Never have I felt so insulted in my life! And I actually thought him a nice guy! Grrrrrrrrrrrrr......  
  
"Hai! You mean, you didn't know?"  
  
I shake my head.  
  
"Sou desu." Pause. "Daijoubu desu! I'm sure you'll feel comfortable there! My onii-chan's a very nice person! I know he'll take good care of you! And Kogure-san! And Ayako-san as well! They're all very nice! You'll feel you belong in no time!"  
  
The girl, Haruko, looks so foolishly eager, hopeful, and so painfully sincere that I didn't have the heart to tell her that I had actually crossed her brother upon first meeting.  
  
So I do what I usually do when faced with a hopeless situation.  
  
I smile.  
  
  
  
  
  
The school day is over. I'm hanging around in class waiting for Haruko. She promised to come by so we could go to the gym together.  
  
That reminds me.  
  
Akagi Haruko has apparently taken me under her wing. She introduced me to her friends during break and helped me locate my classes for the day. Not only that, she suggested I hang around with her group of friends till I'd made my own.  
  
I hadn't missed that hopeful look when she said that. She obviously wanted us to be friends. Fine by me. I don't go around making friends anyway.  
  
Oh, here she is with Fujii and Matsui.  
  
  
  
  
  
We're walking towards the gym. Haruko and Matsui are talking about someone called Rukawa. Odd. I seem to have heard the name before. Oh yes. Now I remember. That's the name practically half the female population of Shohoku have on their lips. Rukawa.  
  
What's so special about him anyway?  
  
  
  
  
  
Haruko  
  
"Sakuragi-chan," I ask her. Yes, we discovered that Sakuragi's the baby amongst us. "Do you know who Rukawa is?"  
  
My cheeks flame up at the very mention of the name.  
  
She shakes her head disinterestedly. "Iie. Suman."  
  
I inhale deeply......before I relate his entire biography to her.  
  
  
  
  
  
Sakuragi  
  
Whoa. She seems to know everything about him. Impressive or obsessive, depending on how you look at it.  
  
"Ano, matte ne, Haruko-san," I frown slightly, "if he's as handsome as you say he is, why haven't I noticed him before?"  
  
I mean, let's face it- which girl doesn't like to gawk at cute boys?  
  
She freezes in her stride. Erm, did I say something I shouldn't have? I turn back to look at her questioningly. Her eyes are trained on someone. I follow her gaze.  
  
"Rukawa," I hear her whisper.  
  
I raise my eyebrow in question. THIS is the great Rukawa?  
  
For before me stands the very boy I used as refuge yesterday.  
  
And it appears he's fallen asleep while walking.  
  
*CRASH*  
  
I wince. Ouch. That must hurt.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Rukawa  
  
I rub my aching head. What did I crash into this time?  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Haruko  
  
Poor Rukawa! He's rubbing his head as he sits in the midst of fallen bicycles. I must see if he's hurt.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Rukawa  
  
Stupid bicycles. Why on earth are they parked in the middle of- - oh. I am not where I thought I am.  
  
"Rukawa-kun!" A girl runs up to me, a worried expression on her face. No. not again.  
  
"Rukawa-kun daijoubuka?" she asks.  
  
I groan inwardly. The others are due to arrive any second now...  
  
*GASP*  
  
"Rukawa-kun! Daijoubu desu ka?"  
  
"EEEEEEKKKKKK!!!!!! Rukawa-kun's hurt himself!"  
  
"Are you all right Rukawa-kun?"  
  
"Rukawa-kun!"  
  
"Rukawa-kun!"  
  
"Will you marry me Rukawa-kun?"  
  
The other girls turn to stare at the culprit. Well whad'dya know? It's a group of boys. Dear God, what is the world coming to?  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Sakuragi  
  
I can't help it. Honest. I really tried not to laugh but who am I to deny fate? I'm only human after all.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Mito  
  
She's laughing. Hanami is actually laughing. We got the girls' attention, but instead of saluting our brilliance, or laughing at Rukawa's SLIGHTLY disgusted expression (he looks less sleepy than before, so I take it that he's disgusted), we're all gaping at her. As in slack-jawed, eyes- wide sort of gaping.  
  
Sakuragi Hanami is actually laughing.  
  
And, is that a pig I see in the sky?  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Sakuragi  
  
The boys are gaping at me. Due to my transient giddiness, I grin in response.  
  
That sure set their jaws moving and sent me into another fit of laughter. What're they trying to imitate? Puffer fishes?  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Haruko  
  
*blink*  
  
Ano....... Sou desu!  
  
"Rukawa-kun! Daijoubuka?" I hear myself repeat for the umpteenth time.  
  
Like before, he ignores me and gets to his feet, brushing the dirt off his uniform.  
  
*swoon*  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Matsui  
  
And she calls them bimbos.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Fujii  
  
Mou....  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Rukawa  
  
Well, if everything's fine and dandy, I'll be on my way now.  
  
Freaks.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Mito  
  
After we finally got over our shock, we decided to follow Hanami and her friends. The pretty one, Haruko, told us they were going to the gym for basketball practice.  
  
I asked Hanami and she just grinned in response. I don't know what's gotten into her, but I'm glad of it.  
  
Anyway, we're hurrying to the gym now. Well, to be more precise, the rest of us are, and Hanami is just sauntering after us as if she's not the one who's late, but us.  
  
*sigh*  
  
I guess it's too soon to hope for anything.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Sakuragi  
  
Well here we are. Shohoku's gym. And here's the basketball team. Oh my, what a pathetic bunch of weaklings. Am I in the wrong place? I mean, this looks more like the chess club than the basketball team.  
  
"Sakuragi-chan!"  
  
I turn. Oh. It's the geek from yesterday. I look him over. Yes, he surely must be the captain of the chess club. And I am NOT mistaken. This IS the chess club.  
  
"You're actually here!" he greeted me cheerfully.  
  
I barely even nod a response. Perhaps I heard him wrongly. He had probably invited me to join the chess club, and so that's why I'm here. But where are the chess sets? And why the gym? Come to think of it, Haruko said something about basketball practice in the gym didn't she? What in the world is going on?  
  
"Ano, megane-kun," I begin. He looks slightly taken aback but gets over it quickly. "Am I in the right place?"  
  
He blinks at me, not comprehending.  
  
"I mean, is this the basketball team?" I ask, slightly exasperated.  
  
He nods dumbly and opens his mouth to say something but someone beats him to it.  
  
"I take that as a personal attack," drawls a husky voice from the doorway. I turn slowly.  
  
To see a totally hot guy leaning against the doorframe, arms folded across his chest. His eyes move up and down. Obviously, he's checking me out.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Mitsui  
  
So, this babe comes in with her followers and snorts at the team. Sure, she's a beauty and everything, but an insult to the team is an insult to me. And surely I can't overlook that.  
  
  
  
  
  
Sakuragi  
  
He's sauntering over, looking as if he's the hottest thing on earth and everyone should just shut up and submit to him. It's infuriating!  
  
So what if he's hopelessly cute, it doesn't give him a reason to smirk and put on an attitude! So what if he's got a totally hot body? He's got no right to walk as if he owns the place! And so what if he's standing right in front of me, eyes fixed on my face? I'm not going to let him have his way! Hah!  
  
I feel my cheeks heat up under his intense gaze.  
  
Damn it.  
  
  
  
  
  
Mitsui  
  
She can't resist me. No girl can. And so, I take the opportunity to return her insult.  
  
  
  
  
  
Sakuragi  
  
He's leaning forward and tilting my head up. My eyes widen and I open my mouth to protest. Only to be silenced with a kiss.  
  
  
  
How vexing! Who the hell does he think he is? His arms go around me. I try to pull away but he's too strong! Damn it! Damn HIM!  
  
Why doesn't my body respond? Pull away dammit! PULL AWAY!!!!  
  
He deepens the kiss.  
  
I moan in reply.  
  
  
  
  
  
Mitsui  
  
This babe sure is something. She's actually resisting me, but that makes it even better.  
  
When I deepen our kiss, she moans. It's almost inaudible, but I catch it all the same. She leans deeper into the kiss, but she's still holding back.  
  
Give me time, baby, and I'll make you open up.  
  
  
  
  
  
Haruko  
  
Sa-Sakuragi-chan....... I didn't know she knew Mitsui-san.  
  
  
  
  
  
Matsui  
  
Oh my.  
  
  
  
  
  
Mito  
  
Whoa. That is one sizzling kiss.  
  
  
  
  
  
Okusu  
  
*nose bleed*  
  
  
  
  
  
Takamiya  
  
*nose bleed*  
  
  
  
Noma  
  
*nose bleed*  
  
  
  
  
  
Everyone else- Yasuda, Kakuta, Shiozaki etc  
  
*gaping* M-Mitsui-san.......  
  
  
  
  
  
Kogure  
  
*on the verge of fainting*  
  
"M-Mitsui! What are you doing to Sakuragi-chan?"  
  
  
  
  
  
Fujii  
  
*faints*  
  
  
  
  
  
Rukawa  
  
I thought that Gori said practice started promptly at three thirty? Funny, I don't hear a single basketball bouncing in the court. In fact, I don't hear anything. I slam my locker shut. All right. I'm done changing. Let's go see what's up.  
  
  
  
  
  
Haruko  
  
The door to the changing room is opening. Onii-chan! It has to be him! I hope he doesn't get mad at Sakuragi-chan! It's not her fault! She's just happy to see Mitsui-san! No! I think they're both very happy to see each other! Onii- - Rukawa-kun?!!!!  
  
  
  
  
  
Mito  
  
Can you believe it? Rukawa just walked out of the changing room and he's frozen in place. I don't think he's seen anyone making out like those two are, before.  
  
That should explain the shocked expression on his face.  
  
  
  
  
  
Rukawa  
  
What the- -?  
  
I'm shocked, really. What is the redhead from yesterday doing with sempai?  
  
Not that I care. I mean, I'm just appalled that they're actually kissing on court. While we're supposed to practice. Where I'm supposed to practice.  
  
So I casually select a ball from the cage and hurl it across at sempai's back.  
  
  
  
  
  
*THUD*  
  
He jumps back, breaking their kiss. If looks could kill, I would have been buried six feet under by now. I try not to flinch under his glare.  
  
  
  
  
  
Mitsui  
  
The nerve of that rookie! He's just a puny freshman! How dare he throw the ball at me, especially when I was progressing with the babe! I'll teach him to respect his seniors!  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Sakuragi  
  
He broke the kiss. I'm grateful that it didn't get any further than that, but I can't help feeling a little disappointed at the same time.  
  
Am I supposed to thank Rukawa for that?  
  
  
  
  
  
Kogure  
  
"Maa maa Mitsui. Rukawa just wanted to make you stop erm, well, just STOP," I motion frantically for Yasuda to help me hold him down.  
  
"I don't care! How dare he throw a basketball at me!" Mitsui was trying to shake himself free. I hold on to him for dear life.  
  
"Look at it this way!" I wrestle his arms down, "if Rukawa didn't stop you Akagi will!"  
  
Mitsui went limp immediately.  
  
"All right," he relents, "when you put it THAT way."  
  
"I knew you'd understand, right Rukawa?"  
  
The boy just snorts.  
  
Sigh. It's gonna be a tough year ahead.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Sakuragi  
  
I'm all changed- - dressed in my athletic gear. I hate wearing these ridiculously short shorts that ride up my posterior. And this absurdly tight sleeveless polo! Hell, I feel like some sort of cabaret dancer!  
  
What's worse is that the boys are all gawking at me. Yes, even Mito and gang. Damn it. I know I'm hideous what with my gangly arms and legs and all, and the damn attire's not helping at all.  
  
Bloody hell.  
  
  
  
  
  
Mitsui  
  
My, my, this babe's got legs that go on forever and a truly sexy body to boot. It doesn't hurt that she's totally gorgeous as well, what with her copper curls and liquid brown eyes......just you wait, honey. I'll make you mine.  
  
  
  
  
  
Haruko  
  
Sakuragi-chan is really beautiful. I've never seen someone nearly as pretty as her before. Not even Ayako-san. I wish I were half as beautiful as Sakuragi-chan. Then maybe Rukawa-kun would look at me.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Rukawa  
  
They're all slobbering over her.  
  
Dogs.  
  
  
  
  
  
Ayako  
  
I'm held up for a while and this is what happens- none of them are training. I knew something was wrong even as I made my way to the gym. The moment I entered, I knew that this was a serious problem.  
  
We now have a girl in the boys' team.  
  
Captain, where are you? 


	3. and so they met

Kogure  
  
"Ano, Akagi will be here shortly, he's got to see to some things..." My voice trailed as I realized most of them weren't paying me any attention. Their focus was on one of our new recruits, Sakuragi Hanami. Also the only girl on the court. Ayako doesn't count. She is our manageress after all.  
  
I clear my throat. "Ano..."  
  
No one even spares me a glance.  
  
I gulp. All right, Kogure, you've got this all under control. Don't panic. Just stay cool. That's it. You're cool.  
  
"Ano, as you all know, Shohoku would like to enter the Inter High and this year, with your help, it might be possible for us to become one of the final four in the prefecture. Therefore, I hope that you will give us your full cooperation and support," I manage to say.  
  
Sakuragi cocks her head at me, totally unaware of the effect she has on the boys.  
  
"Megane-kun?"  
  
"Hai, Sakuragi-chan?"  
  
"Didn't you qualify this year?" she asks.  
  
"Erm..well..." I begin but a cool voice cuts me off.  
  
"Of course not, d'aho. Don't you read the papers?" Rukawa said in his monotone.  
  
"Sou da?" Sakuragi wrinkled her nose delicately. "Of course I read the papers...not the local ones though. I read the national papers. Yomiuri Shimbun? So forgive me for not having heard about the qualifying games."  
  
Her last sentence had a slight tinge of sarcasm embedded within.  
  
"D'aho."  
  
"Nani? Watashi no d'aho? Nani teme yo baka no ottoko!" Sakuragi snaps. Obviously, she doesn't like being called names.  
  
"Yare yare~" the offending boy sighs and ignores her. This of course irks her even more and the girl directs a patented death glare at the source of irritation.  
  
"Ano," I say stupidly, "Aren't you and Rukawa friends?"  
  
Sakuragi's jaw goes slack. She stares at me as if I'd lost my mind. Oh my. She's behaving so strangely today. She's so much more expressive. I wonder why.  
  
"Ooookay...you're not friends then," I relent.  
  
She nods and resumes glaring at him.  
  
I look up at the sky out side...... and direct a question to no one in particular.  
  
"Why me?"  
  
"'cos there's none better than you when it comes to this."  
  
I start. "M-miyagi?"  
  
"Yo." He smiles at me before entering the gym. "So we have a girl playing with us now, I hear. She can't be as pretty as my Aya-chan of course."  
  
Ayako tries to hide her blush by thwacking him on the head with her paper fan.  
  
"What are you doing here out of hospital? You're not supposed to leave till Friday!" she reprimands him.  
  
Sakuragi looks at them in amusement.  
  
"Ayako-san, this your boyfriend?" she asks, visibly amused.  
  
"Yeah! Got a problem with that?!!" Miyagi whirled round to face her and froze. "Erm......"  
  
"Miyagi, this is Sakuragi Hanami. Sakuragi-chan, this is Miyagi Ryota, one of the year 2 players. He's Shohoku's point guard," I introduce them cheerily.  
  
Miyagi still looks shell shocked. Oh well. I'll give him time to recover.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Miyagi  
  
My goodness. Who is this angel before me?  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Mito  
  
And another one bites the dust.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Ayako  
  
He's gawking at her. Miyagi Ryota, the guy who is hopelessly devoted to me is openly drooling at another girl. Right in front of me.  
  
I don't believe this.  
  
  
  
  
  
Sakuragi  
  
Is this the freaks' club or what because it really seems like one. What have I gotten myself into this time?  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Kogure  
  
I clear my throat.  
  
"Well, let's see now. Since we're done with the introductions, we should start practicing now. Akagi won't be very pleased if he finds out that we're not utilizing our time well."  
  
That got them moving. Finally. Kogure Kiminobu, I swear you're a genius sometimes.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Sakuragi  
  
Start with dribbling. That's the most basic of basics. And so, we're all dribbling the great big orange ball monotonously. This is fun. I'm having so much fun I could die now with a stupid smile on my face. Right.  
  
Anyhow, this isn't much of a challenge. I'm completely new to basketball and know nuts about it, but dribbling is not new to me. I mean, it's natural to dribble every ball you see right? I've dribbled volleyballs, soccer balls, netballs, tennis balls, and even table tennis balls. You could say I'm a veteran dribbler.  
  
*yawn*  
  
When are we going to start?  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Mitsui  
  
She's got very quick hands. I've never seen such smooth dribbling from a freshman before. She looks, almost, bored.  
  
Why you cheeky little doll, you're making fun of this game.  
  
  
  
  
  
Sakuragi  
  
What's next? Oh. Passes. Should be easy to pull off. All right, let's see now, three in a line. Mitsui-sempai and Miyagi-sempai(he snapped out of it five minutes ago) are with me. I wonder.....  
  
  
  
  
  
Miyagi  
  
Let's see what this girl can do.  
  
"Mitsui!" I yell.  
  
He catches the ball and throws it at her. She grabs it and passes to me.  
  
"Mitsui!" I yell again but this time, I throw the ball at her. She receives the ball and, without blinking, threw it right at me. Too high damn it! What are you trying to do?!!!  
  
*SMACK*  
  
The very sick sound of a basketball smacking into someone's face is heard throughout the gym. I skid to a halt and turn behind me.  
  
There, lying on the ground with a broken nose and a very red face was one of her gundam- the one with the yellow hair. The others were laughing their heads off at him. I turn back to face Sakuragi.  
  
"What'd he do to you?" I ask.  
  
"Made faces," she replies, her face stoic, her voice indifferent.  
  
I raise an eyebrow. "So you had no intention of passing it to me?"  
  
"Iie."  
  
I grin. To my utter surprise, not to mention delight, she actually grins back.  
  
Yep, she's cool, this Sakuragi Hanami.  
  
  
  
  
  
Sakuragi  
  
Stupid Okusu. He deserves it, making stupid kissing faces at me like that. He's probably teasing me about just now. I don't want to be reminded.  
  
Oh, and Miyagi-sempai's a pretty decent guy. I thought he was going to tell me off or something, but he only grinned at me. So I grinned back.  
  
  
  
Next, we're practicing the basic shots. Hell, I've never tried to shoot a basketball before. That senior, Yasuda is his name right? Anyway, he managed to place the ball in. And so did Kakuta and Shiozaki, and of course, Mitsui and Miyagi. And Rukawa. He did it perfectly, according to Ayako-san and Megane-kun. Ookay. That leaves me.  
  
I dribble the ball and sprint forward, all prepared to shoot. I try to imitate Rukawa's form earlier and aim for the net. The ball leaves my hand, heads for the net...... and misses completely.  
  
Mito and gang go into hysterics. Yes, even Okusu with his broken nose. Damn those guys. They're obviously here to laugh at me. A comforting thought, that is.  
  
Their maniacal laughter carries throughout the gym. Haruko and Fujii try their best to hush them up, but I can see they're not succeeding. Oh well. I suppose I should try.  
  
"Urusai!!!!!!!" I yell. The four of them freeze. I would've laughed if it had been another place and time.  
  
  
  
  
  
Takamiya  
  
She yelled at us. Hanami-chan YELLED at us. She yelled at us to shut up.  
  
  
  
  
  
Okusu  
  
Did I just hear that or is my nose banged up so badly I actually imagined Hanami yelling at us?  
  
  
  
  
  
Noma  
  
..............  
  
  
  
  
  
Mito  
  
Yep, something's gotten under her skin today. Wonder what it is.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Sakuragi  
  
I feel my face burning. Damn it! Why didn't the stupid orange go into the basket? I followed Rukawa's every move so why didn't the ball go in like it was supposed to?!!!!  
  
"Maa maa, Sakuragi-chan. Daijoubu desu. You'll get better with more practice," Megane-kun assures me.  
  
I don't want improvement with practice! I want results NOW!  
  
So I shake my head stubbornly.  
  
"Maybe you could get someone to teach you. I'm sure all of us are more than happy to help," he smiles comfortingly. I appreciate the kindness, but it hardly works on me. "For now though, we'll practice other shots."  
  
I sulk. Damn it to hell. I want to shoot! I want the stinking ball to go on! Why won't it go in?!!!!!!  
  
"Want my help?" Mitsui offers, while spinning a ball on his right finger.  
  
"No," I snap. I will not ask for help. Not unless I can't help it and I always can. So there.  
  
"Whoa, I was just asking," he raises his free hand in mock defense.  
  
I give him a withering look before turning away to listen to Megane- kun's next instructions.  
  
  
  
  
  
Rukawa  
  
She doesn't know how to shoot. Sure, she's pretty handy at dribbling and passing but that's about it. This girl obviously doesn't know a thing about basketball. Why in the world did Kogure sempai offer to take her in? And why did Gori agree? Beats me why they want a girl in the team. Especially HER.  
  
It wouldn't be so bad if she had actually played basketball before but it's painfully obvious she hasn't.  
  
*sigh*  
  
It pains me to see her feeble attempts at shooting- if those could even be called shots.  
  
  
  
  
  
Sakuragi  
  
GAHHHHHH!! Why can't I shoot?!!!!! WHY?!!!!!!!!!!  
  
  
  
  
  
Ayako  
  
That's the thirtieth consecutive shot that she's missed. I can't see what's wrong with her aim- her posture's right, her angle and tilt as well, she's in perfect form....so why doesn't the ball go in?  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Kogure  
  
She's doing it wrong......somehow. Finally! Akagi's here!  
  
"Akagi!" I can't help but let my relief show at his appearance.  
  
"How's the freshmen? How are Mitsui and Miyagi? They troubling you?" he asks as he takes off his shirt, revealing his gym shirt underneath.  
  
"No, they've been very good," I insist, although in actual truth I wanted to blurt out that they'd been more than a thorn in my side.  
  
"Oh? That so? What about the girl then? Sakuragi Hanami?" asks Akagi as he stretches his arms and legs.  
  
"She's doing fine. She's an excellent dribbler and is very good at passing...."  
  
"But?"  
  
"But?" I repeat.  
  
"But she's........?" he prods. Apparently, he can read me like an open book.  
  
"Well, there's a slight problem."  
  
"Aside from the very big problem that she's a girl? What else could be more troubling?" he snorts derisively.  
  
"Well.....she can't shoot. Not at all."  
  
Akagi raises his eyebrow at me.  
  
"And I thought it was something of greater importance."  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Akagi  
  
There she is practicing her shots, all alone, at the far end of the gym. Everyone else has gone home. It's almost dinnertime.  
  
"Oi! Sakuragi!"  
  
She snaps her head at me. "Nandato?" she yells back.  
  
"Aren't you going home?" I ask, though I could already guess her answer.  
  
"Not just yet!"  
  
See?  
  
I shrug and pick my bag up. Haruko and her friends had long gone. It was her turn to make dinner today. I wonder what it'll be......  
  
"Ano, Gori?"  
  
"What did you call me?" I growl, snapping out of my reverie immediately. How dare she call me a gorilla!  
  
"Gori?" she repeats.  
  
I clench my fists, ready to pound her when she goes on.  
  
"Arigatou."  
  
I sputter. What? Did she just say thank you? Whatever for? I was just about to ask her when I realized that she had turned back to continue with her shots again. I can't help but smile.  
  
"Ganbatte yo, Sakuragi," I say quietly as I leave her to her shooting.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Rukawa  
  
Gori just left. I saw him mutter something under his breath before he went through the door. Hnn.  
  
The d'aho's still here. She's vainly trying to place some shots but so far, she's missed them all. All 76 of them.  
  
She should just quit and not waste her time here. She could be really good as a volleyball player. Or maybe a runner. She's light on her feet. Playing basketball doesn't suit her. But if she actually trains up.......what the hell am I thinking? Why do I even care?  
  
"D'aho."  
  
She ignores me. Fine. I've not got a problem with that. I don't give a rat's ass anyhow. I start to leave when she stops me short.  
  
"Can you teach me?"  
  
I stop and stare at her. What did she just say?  
  
As if reading my mind, she repeats herself, very slowly this time. "Can. You. Teach. Me." She points to me, then at herself and makes some shooting motions with her hands. Like I'm an idiot who doesn't understand what she's saying.  
  
"No." I reply. Why should I anyway? I've no obligation to.  
  
I half expected her to beg me, but it didn't seem very possible. I don't know what I expected her to do. It's not easy to read her. Not easy at all.  
  
But I sure didn't anticipate this.  
  
She simply shrugged and turned away. As if she had already guessed my answer.  
  
I don't know why but I actually feel annoyed. Annoyed that she could read me. Annoyed that she didn't press me to teach her. Annoyed that she wasn't serious about my getting to teach her. Annoyed that she simply shrugged it off. Annoyed.  
  
"D'aho." I say. What else am I supposed to say? I'm not exactly Mister Talkative if you haven't noticed.  
  
"Baka kitsune." She replies, her voice flat and uninterested.  
  
I feel disappointed. I had hoped to trigger a more violent reaction from her but all I got was this. Baka kitsune. It doesn't even sound like she means it.  
  
"Oi."  
  
"What?" she answers, almost lazily.  
  
"Aren't you going home?" I ask.  
  
She shakes her head. Something crossed her features but it was gone as soon as it came. I must have imagined it. Oh well. It's none of my business anyhow.  
  
I turn and leave.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Doujin: of course. Mitsui Hisashi is like none other. *swoons and goes in a daze* ......ara? *snaps out of it* gomen, gomen ^^;; got carried away. Anyhow, I agree- I only wish it was as fun writing the story as reading it.  
  
Smiley- thank u. the story loves u too ^^  
  
Chris- hai~ I wonder what's behind those crystalline eyes(or ice, more like) as well ^^  
  
Unquestionable- hontou ni? You're reading this by recommendation? O.O ooohhh..u flatter. Yaoi? Iie. This isn't yaoi. Hana-chan is a beautiful girl who just happens to think nothing of Rukawa(who is, I must point out, a BOY). So yaoi it isn't. ^^ Sou desu! Abt chaos(clash of egos), well, I don't think I'll get on with the story..unless I'm inspired (which I am not, at least for the moment). Suman ne? *bows apologetically*  
  
Hikaru Itsuko- no comments? *injured look* mou..  
  
Tensai_kai- hello back at you ^^  
  
Kimeno pebols- sou? Hontou arigatou desu! ^^ *glomps* I will! I will since I get such nice reviewers!!!!! ^^  
  
Mrsgreenleaf- why that's very nice of you my dear missus ^^  
  
Crescent quetzalcoatl- O.O fancy pen name. *blinks* anyways, thank u so much. Anata wa kawaii desu ^^ hai hai, more coming up! ^^  
  
Tensai 2003-3003/hanako- oooohh, what'll happen after 3003? *laughs maniacally* oops. Gomen.got carried away...ehehe~ anyways, thank u for your erm, honesty? Ahaha~ no seriously, I take it as a compliment. ^^  
  
Tenkai- iie. Daijoubu desu ^^  
  
Konzen_is_mine- oh? Konzen is yours? Well, Sanzo is MINE. MUAHAHAHAH~ XD Err, moving on.. well, if you're good you're good. Ahahaha. *sweatdrop* *looks around to make sure no one's listening* actually, I don't know either. ^^;;  
  
todesengel- sank yuu! ^^  
  
K. Takehiro- arigatou desu! ^^  
  
Kanasimi- Awwwww..you're just flattering me again *blush* 


	4. swinging and sulking don't go together

Sakuragi  
  
This is scandalous! I was chased out of the gym by the caretaker at nine o'clock at night! Nine o'clock! If that isn't scandalous, tell me what is?  
  
*sigh*  
  
So now I'm walking on the street to nowhere in particular. I don't want to go home yet. It doesn't even matter if I go home or not- there's no one at home anyway. I'm not usually like this- I'm the type who rushes home the moment school lets out. And I study. At home. And I cook.  
  
Oh yes. Cooking. That's one thing that never fails to annoy me. Cooking. Even after 5 years of living on my own and preparing my own meals, my cooking has never managed to taste anywhere near nice. If they're even edible in the first place. Rotten, tasteless, salty or even downright foul, I've no choice but to consume them. I can't afford to waste food- I only earn so much as a cashier. And that was before now. Now, with basketball practice everyday, I'm quite certain I'll lose my job soon.  
  
Anyways~  
  
I'm wandering around aimlessly. I would very much love to practice but I don't own a basketball so I can't. I don't even know if there's a basketball court here anyway, so I guess I'll have to drop that notion. What can I do at nine forty at night? I know! I'll go hang out at the park!  
  
I quicken my pace immediately.  
  
  
  
  
  
Mito  
  
I was on my way home from the Pachinko(we got booted out AGAIN) when I caught sight of Hanami walking briskly towards the park. Since I've got nothing better to do, I decided to tail her.  
  
I'm not sure if that was the smartest move I ever made because I've lost her.  
  
Why does she keep vanishing?  
  
  
  
  
  
Sakuragi  
  
Ah! The swings are unoccupied! Yay! I love the swings!  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Mito  
  
Found her! Actually, I haven't- I just see someone on the swings and since it's too dark(the street lights are pretty dim) I can't really know for certain if it's really Hanami or not. I decide to assume it is her. I mean, who would play on the swings at this time of the day? Or night.  
  
"Hanami!" I call and run up to her.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Sakuragi  
  
Did someone just call me?  
  
Oh. It's him. Mito Youhei. Also known as the 'normal' one. What does he want me now?  
  
"What?" I snap.  
  
"Whoa. Relax all right? You don't have to get so snappy!"  
  
I shrug and turn away. I'm on a swing. The wind is blowing in my face and my hair. I feel great. And so I am not about to let anyone spoil this moment for me.  
  
"Hanami." I don't know if that's a statement, or just an exasperated tone that he's using, nor do I care.  
  
"What?" I don't snap this time. I just say it. Like how he said my name. An eye for an eye.  
  
"What are you doing here at night?" he asks.  
  
"Playing on the swings?" I try to dodge the question.  
  
"No, WHY?" he corrects himself.  
  
"Because I want to play on the swings?" I answer innocently.  
  
He rolls his eyes. "Have you had dinner yet?" he asks instead.  
  
"Nope."  
  
"Hungry?"  
  
"Nope." My stomach decides to be funny and growls. Mito raises an eyebrow. Fine. "Yeah. I am."  
  
"Eating dinner at home then?"  
  
I shake my head. Right now, I don't feel like cooking.  
  
"Out?"  
  
Again I shake my head. Man, this guy is incessantly persistent with his questions. Who does he think he is? Mr Nosy?  
  
"So let me get this straight. You're hungry but you're not eating," he sits himself on the swing next to mine and starts to swing himself.  
  
Nod.  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"I have no money," I say flatly. He wants answers, he'll get answers.  
  
"Allowance?"  
  
"None. I work to pay for everything."  
  
He looks surprised. I can't blame him. Most people don't know how I struggle to pay for my school fees and everything. And well, I don't exactly act or dress like someone who's eternally short of cash. My wardrobe's more than just presentable- I own very stylish clothes. I'm a girl after all.  
  
"You work?" he asks.  
  
Nod.  
  
"Where?"  
  
"Why don't you find out for yourself?"  
  
"All right. I will."  
  
We both swing in silence for a while. I was starting to loosen up around him. He's a really easy person to be with. I don't have to be on my guard with him.  
  
"Hanami?"  
  
"Hai?"  
  
"Do you live alone?"  
  
How'd he know? I'm surprised at his perceptive guess. Or maybe it was plain old dumb luck. But I guess the surprise must have shown because he added in quickly, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to pry."  
  
"I-ie. Daijoubu..." Man this guy is scary. But I feel like I can open up to him. I don't do that often. No, let me rephrase that. I've never opened up to anyone before. I don't have many friends. I have to rephrase that too. I don't have any friends. I don't see the need to have any. It's every man his own- that's what I believe, sexist though the saying may be. And though I often tell myself I can live without friends, I can't help wishing there was someone I could talk to.  
  
And this guy seems to be that someone.  
  
On impulse, I say, "I'm an orphan."  
  
He doesn't look too surprised though. "Well, I guessed you were since you're working and living on your own. Unless you ran away, of course. But that doesn't become you."  
  
"Hnn."  
  
"Do you come here often?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"The park," he smiles at me, "do you come to the park often?"  
  
I nod. "I like the swings."  
  
His smile widens. "I can see that."  
  
"They're special to me, the swings."  
  
He nods in understanding. I know he truly understands. I sense that in him.  
  
"We should come and play the swings more often then, ne?" he winks.  
  
I smile. I note the 'we' part but don't object. I like him. He might really be the friend I've always wanted, and, well, needed.  
  
  
  
  
  
Mito  
  
I managed to convince her to let me take her out to dinner. Danny's doesn't close till eleven so we've got plenty of time to talk.  
  
I can sense that she's starving but she eats slowly, almost nibbling at her food. It's cute. She looks like a little chipmunk.  
  
I've already had my dinner but it doesn't hurt to keep her company. It'll make her feel less awkward.  
  
  
  
  
  
Sakuragi  
  
He's walking me home. I wanted to protest initially, but decided against it. If I want him to be my friend, I shouldn't be so secretive. So I'm letting him walk me home.  
  
I hope he doesn't cringe at the sight of my pathetic apartment.  
  
  
  
We're here. I mumble a 'thank you' and slide myself through the small crack of the door. I don't want to let him see what it's like in my house.  
  
But he stops me. And shakes his head.  
  
I smile sheepishly and relents, pushing the door open.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Mito  
  
Her house is impeccably neat. Very tastefully decorated. Sparsely furnished, but very nicely done up. It's small but then again, she lives alone.  
  
"Nice," I comment.  
  
"Thanks," she blushes a little at the compliment. Obviously, I'm the first one who's ever set foot in the house. I feel honored in a way.  
  
"Well, I guess I'd better get going then. I'll see you tomorrow all right?" I say, waving a little.  
  
She nods a goodbye and shuts the door softly behind me. She's still guarded with me. It's all right. I'm not asking her to drop all her defenses at once.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Sakuragi  
  
Well, that was nice. I have a friend. Friend. That word sounds so nice. I go to sleep, still smiling.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
The next morning....  
  
Sakuragi  
  
He's waiting for me outside. Apparently, he intends to walk me to school. The others aren't with him. For that, I'm quite thankful. I need time to get used to this. I need to get used to having friends.  
  
Of course, I'm assuming that the other three are my friends already. It's only logical- Mito's friends should be mine as well.  
  
  
  
I'm looking forward to basketball practice. I can't wait to shoot. I haven't made a successful shot yet, and that's what's gotten me so riled up and eager. I will succeed. I will.  
  
  
  
  
  
Ayako  
  
Sakuragi was already shooting when I arrived. I'm impressed with her initiative and diligence.  
  
"Sakuragi-chan?"  
  
"Hai? Ayako-san?"  
  
"Ganbatte yo!" I pump a fist in the air enthusiastically.  
  
She laughs a little and aims to shoot. The ball hits the ring of the net and rebounds.  
  
Sakuragi winces a little.  
  
"Daijoubu Sakuragi-chan! Just keep trying! Remember what sempai taught you!" I urge her.  
  
She nods.  
  
I like this girl. She's very determined. Ruthless? Well, I'll just have to wait and see.  
  
  
  
  
  
Akagi  
  
Sakuragi's upset that she can't place a shot in. So I take her aside and tell her to concentrate on lay-up shots first.  
  
"The basics, you have to get them right before you can progress," I tell her.  
  
"But Gori! That's what I've been doing since yesterday!" she protests.  
  
"Baka!" I knock her on the head, "Don't call me Gori! I know you've been trying but obviously, you're doing something wrong."  
  
"Like?"  
  
"I don't know actually. I can't see what wrong with your shots," I admit, embarrassed.  
  
This only served to frustrate her more. "Why won't the shots go in?"  
  
I shrug. Then I had an idea.  
  
"Rukawa!" I call, "Can you perform some lay-ups for Sakuragi here?"  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Rukawa  
  
For that d'aho? No way.  
  
I pick up a ball and walk to the center of the court.......and run in for a lay-up shot.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Sakuragi  
  
I watched his every movement. The ball went in easily.  
  
"BUT THAT'S WHAT I DID!!!!!!!!!!!" I stomp my foot on the ground. All right. I know it's childish but I can't help it. I've always been able to somehow get my way- through my own effort of course so it's really frustrating to not be able to do a simple thing like this.  
  
So I spend the rest of the day catching rebounds. And missing every single shot.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Sakuragi  
  
"I'll see you tomorrow Sakuragi," I nod to her.  
  
"Don't worry Sakuragi-chan! I'm sure you'll be able to shoot once you've practiced enough!" Haruko assured me, before leaving with her brother.  
  
"Don't stress yourself out all right?" advised Miyagi.  
  
"Want me to give you private coaching?" Mitsui wiggled his eyebrow suggestively.  
  
I roll my eyes. He's been hounding me since practice started.  
  
"Let's go Mitsui," Kogure and Miyagi drag him out. "Good night Sakuragi!" they call back.  
  
I nod, still too intent on placing a shot.  
  
  
  
The gym is quiet after they've all left. I like it this way. It allows for greater concentration. I shoot again. Missed. I leap to catch the rebound.  
  
Damn it. At the rate I'm going, I'll only be able to steal, dribble and catch rebounds in a game. I'll be useless. I'll be benched.  
  
And I'm not going to let that happen.  
  
So I shoot again.  
  
And again I miss.  
  
This time I don't bother to get the rebound. Instead, I plop myself on the floor, draw my knees to my chest and sulk.  
  
Not the most intelligent thing to do, silly really, but I've run out of ideas.  
  
Tasukete.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Rukawa  
  
She's still here. Back in junior high, I was always the last one to leave. Guess that won't happen here.  
  
I've showered and changed and she's still at it.....till now I mean. Now she's just huddling on the floor sulking.  
  
'aho.  
  
  
  
  
  
Sakuragi  
  
*sniffle*  
  
Maybe I shouldn't have joined after all. I would be so much more better off in the track team. Or swimming. Why did I agree to sign up for this silly game in the first place? Maybe it's not too late to change. I'm sure Gori will understand- I won't be of any use anyhow, even if I stay on. It's only proper and sensible that I quit.  
  
I'll go tell him first thing tomorrow. Now though, I should get on home. I don't see the need to practice anymore when I'm not going to play anymore.  
  
I stand up quickly and turn to grab my back, only to smack into someone's chest.  
  
"D'aho," he says, while I blink several times and see stars.  
  
"K-kitsune...." my head's still spinning. What does he have for a chest? Concrete?  
  
"D'aho."  
  
"What'd you do that for?" I scowl. Yes, my head still hurts but I'm over it.  
  
"It was your fault."  
  
"Mine? You're saying it's my fault?" I hiss. This guy sure knows how to bring up the ugly side of me. I have a temper, and a foul one at that.  
  
"D'aho."  
  
"You were standing there! You deliberately planted yourself there just so I'd knock into you! You sick, sick kitsune!"  
  
He sighs. "D'aho."  
  
I turn on my heels, grab my back and dash out of there, angry.  
  
  
  
  
  
Rukawa  
  
I didn't 'plant' myself there just so I could have her knock into me. Why would I do such a stupid thing? I was just about to kick her lightly when she suddenly jumped to her feet and smashed right into me. And she's not the only one who's hurting. She smashed right into my chest! My ribs feel broken.  
  
What does that girl have for a head? Concrete?  
  
  
  
  
  
Sakuragi  
  
Stupid Rukawa! Stupid stupid Rukawa! What does Haruko see in him anyway? She's so nice and he's so stupid! Or maybe she's the stupid one. Why in the world would anyone like him?  
  
They're all stupid. Stupid and blind. 


	5. i stood you up but so what?

Sakuragi  
  
I told Gori. He said okay. So now I'm officially out of the team and am a free woman. Girl. Either or.  
  
I don't have to see the dratted kitsune anymore.  
  
I'll miss Ayako-san, Megane-kun and Ryochin though. And Mitsui-san. Especially Mitsui-san. For all his skirt-chasing and flirting, he's a really nice guy. And who can forget his kiss. After he's kissed you, that's all you think about whenever you see him. Of course, I don't let him know it.  
  
Anyhow, I won't be seeing much of them anymore. Which is quite a pity. I was beginning to like them.  
  
Well, never mind. I have Mito and gang. They're my friends.  
  
  
  
  
  
Haruko  
  
I wonder why Sakuragi-chan's not here yet. She's really late! I saw her just now in school and she said something that I couldn't catch. Maybe she's got other appointments.  
  
Onii-chan looks angry. Is it because of Sakuragi-chan?  
  
"Onii-chan, please don't get mad at Sakuragi-chan. She'll be here soon," I tell him.  
  
He turns to me, vein throbbing in his forehead.  
  
"Soon? Soon? She quit the team!" he yells.  
  
I cover my ears. Onii-chan can be very loud.  
  
"Sakuragi-chan quit basketball?" asked Ayako-san, stunned.  
  
"When?" prompted Miyagi-san.  
  
"She quit?" Mitsui-san stated with disbelief.  
  
"Sakuragi-chan quit?" Kogure-san and I chorused together.  
  
Yasuda-san and the others also looked quite startled at the news.  
  
  
  
  
  
Ayako  
  
"What was her reason?" I ask.  
  
"Said she wasn't good enough and it'll be for the best if she withdrew," snarls Akagi.  
  
"The best?" I repeat incredulously.  
  
"For her you mean," snorts Miyagi.  
  
"And you let her, Akagi?" Kogure looks at him skeptically.  
  
"What was I supposed to do? She ran up to me during break, shot her mouth off and dashed away before I even sputtered a single word!"  
  
"I'll get her back," vows Mitsui.  
  
"Me too," agrees Miyagi.  
  
Akagi holds up a hand to stop them from leaving. "Let her. We don't force anyone to join or stay. If she wants to quit, let her quit. She'll be happier not playing with us."  
  
"But- -" both of them protest.  
  
"Sempai's right," I nod gravely, "it's her choice."  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Rukawa  
  
So she quit the team. Why the fuss?  
  
  
  
  
  
Haruko  
  
Everyone seems very lethargic..they don't seem to want to play...only Rukawa-kun doesn't seem to be affected by Sakuragi-chan's departure.  
  
I'm still shocked. Why did she quit? She was doing so well! I'll go find her now!  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Mito  
  
Sakuragi decided to enroll in the swimming team. They took her in eagerly, upon seeing her junior high records. I'm impressed. She was a state swimmer and runner then..... well, I haven't heard it before since Sakuragi only moved to Kanagawa this year.... I wonder why she even signed up for basketball in the first place.  
  
Perhaps she wanted to try her hand at something else?  
  
Perhaps she joined because of Rukawa?  
  
Not likely, but not impossible either. You never know when Sakuragi is concerned.  
  
Anyhow, we're on our way to Danny's all five of us...I'll pay for her again- I don't mind.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Haruko  
  
She's not in school! I can't find her anywhere!  
  
I guess I have to wait till tomorrow to talk to her.  
  
  
  
  
  
Several weeks later..  
  
Haruko  
  
I tried to ask Sakuragi-chan to return to the club but always she refused. She said she's happier in the swimming team. I have to admit that she does seem more cheerful...and she's made lots of new friends.  
  
Sakuragi-chan's become very popular now. The boys are all after her and the girls want to be her friends. They're so fake. They only want to be friends with her because she's popular. Everywhere she goes, she's surrounded by a group of people. I can't talk to her in private!  
  
Basketball sessions still go on with or without her. Everyone has gotten over her, but I can't help but feel like there's something missing. I think everyone feels it too.  
  
Sakuragi-chan wasn't exactly very noisy when she was around- she always kept to herself and practiced her shots on her own. There was only the occasional outburst when Mito and the others laughed at her. But somehow, she made her presence felt and known.  
  
Now, it's just so empty...I wish those people would go away so I can talk to her.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Sakuragi  
  
Why are there so many people hanging around me all of a sudden?  
  
Mito says it's because I'm very popular in school, especially among the boys, but what has that got to do with anything?  
  
Forgive me. I may be smart and athletic, but I'm completely clueless when it comes to all this social issues.  
  
  
  
The swimmers are very nice people. They're very normal people. I must stress on the 'normal' part. They're not freaks like the members of the basketball club. And the best thing is that the swimming club is very established. They never fail to qualify for the inter-high every year and came in second last year in the National Championships. Which makes them the second-best in Japan. And I'm a member of their team. Which makes me one of the best swimmers in the country.  
  
That's a very nice title.  
  
I'm content.  
  
  
  
  
  
I've finished training- coach made us do 12 laps today. I'm a bit restless though, and for some reason, I feel drawn to the gym. Fine. I'll just go in and peep awhile. It's late anyhow. Practice ended hours ago. Maybe there's no one there.  
  
I hear someone dribbling a basketball. Maybe it's Gori..nah. Can't be. He should have left by now. Mitsui-san? He stays behind sometimes to throw some hoops. I've seen him before.  
  
No. It's Rukawa.  
  
*sigh*  
  
Oh well, nothing to see then.  
  
I make to leave when a ball comes flying out of nowhere and trips me. I crash unceremoniously on the floor.  
  
I curse. Stupid Rukawa. All he ever does is infuriate me. He seems to derive pleasure from grinding my nerves. The sadist.  
  
"D'aho."  
  
I flip myself over and glare at him. He towers over me and looks down at me with a blank, expressionless face. My legs hit out and kick him in the shin, making him lose his balance. A priceless look of surprise crosses his face as he falls. Damn it. He's going to fall on top of me.  
  
I put my hands out, palms up to stop him from creaming me. And close my eyes to brace the impact.  
  
  
  
Oh. He's not very heavy is he?  
  
I'm not using that much force to hold him up and away from me. Or is that because I have been blessed with superhuman strength? Not very likely.  
  
I open my eyes. And almost withdrew my hands.  
  
I'm staring right into those pools of sapphire.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Rukawa  
  
The stupid girl kicked me so I lost my balance and fell on top of her.  
  
She stuck her hands out to supposedly stop me from flattening her but if it hadn't been for my quick reaction, she would have been a pancake by now.  
  
My arms are around her, and I'm propping myself up. Her hands are on my chest.  
  
I don't know why, but this position is awkward.  
  
When she opened her eyes, I almost flinched. I never knew she had such beautiful eyes.  
  
  
  
  
  
Sakuragi  
  
I hold my breath. My heart's pounding madly in my chest and I can feel the blood rush through my veins. I don't know what's happening but I do know it can't be good. Anything to do with the kitsune can't be good.  
  
"Get off me," I say. I'm panicking a little. If he doesn't move away soon.... I don't know what'll happen. I just want him to go away.  
  
"Why should I do as you say, d'aho?" His warm breath tickles my face.  
  
"Stupid kitsune. You're stupid, that's why you should listen to a tensai," I retort.  
  
"D'aho would suit you better."  
  
"Teme! Get away from me!" I growl angrily.  
  
As if to purposely infuriate me, he relaxes the pressure in his arms and presses down on me so that his face is inches away from mine.  
  
"D'aho," he repeats.  
  
I breathe in sharply. His lips are hovering less than two centimeters above mine. I can feel his every breath caressing my face.  
  
"Why did you quit?" he asks, surprising me.  
  
"Huh?" I say stupidly.  
  
"Why did you quit?" he repeats.  
  
"Why do you care?" I snort.  
  
"I don't."  
  
"Fine. Then don't ask!" I snap.  
  
He moves as if to get up and I relax.  
  
"Tomorrow."  
  
"What?" I say.  
  
"Tomorrow. One-on-one. I win, you join the club again."  
  
I blink. He can't be serious.  
  
He looks dead serious to me though.  
  
  
  
  
  
The next day...  
  
Sakuragi  
  
I told Youhei about it. He's my best friend- he deserves to know everything. Anyway, he wasn't too happy at the news. He said I shouldn't take up the challenge. I have no obligation to, and besides, basketball is Rukawa's field so the results should be obvious.  
  
I told him this- "I have no intention of taking up the challenge anyhow."  
  
He had grinned like a nutcase.  
  
So, come evening, Rukawa will be waiting for no one. I'll be at Danny's with the boys.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Rukawa  
  
She should be here by now. I hate waiting damn it!  
  
  
  
27 minutes later...  
  
Oh freak. She stood me up.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Sakuragi  
  
I'm so tired. My body's aching all over. I laughed too much for my own good. Now I feel so utterly weak I have to drag myself around the house. Tired as I am, I need to do the housework- I've neglected the house for nearly three days now, and the dust has begun to set in. So I grab the broom and sweep.  
  
And the doorbell decides to ring.  
  
I wonder who it could be. Youhei? But he just left after dropping me off at the doorstep. I open the door and peep out.  
  
Oh.  
  
"What do you want kitsune?" I ask in an exasperated voice, "And for that matter, how did you find out where I live?"  
  
The boys couldn't have told him. How else then?  
  
"I had my dad's secretary search the records," he replied.  
  
My eyes widened. No kidding. He's been acting funny....I don't know when he's joking or when he's being serious. His sense of humor is very twisted.  
  
"What do you want then? There's nothing worth stealing."  
  
"You stood me up," he says flatly.  
  
My eyebrows arch up in surprise. "You were not stood up."  
  
"I was."  
  
"You weren't. I never agreed to meet you."  
  
I saw a flash of irritation cross his face and smiled. "Well, if that's all, I would appreciate it if you would kindly leave without treading any dirt on my doormat. Thanks." I close the door in his face, feeling unbelievably smug. 


	6. chocolates and flowers don't work on me ...

Rukawa  
  
Stupid girl. Why do I care if she comes back or not? It's none of my business. But for some reason, I want to make it my business.  
  
I thought of pressing the bell again, but on second thought- maybe not. I'll let her win today. But tomorrow...it'll be a different story.  
  
  
  
  
  
Sakuragi  
  
I can't believe he actually came all the way to ask me that. Is he nuts? I strongly believe he is. Nutcases shouldn't walk the streets. So I called Youhei to tell him what happened.  
  
  
  
  
  
Mito  
  
I think the 'baka kitsune' likes the 'd'aho'. The 'd'aho' however, has no idea.  
  
This should be interesting.  
  
  
  
  
  
Rukawa  
  
Do I like her or something? This is a bit too sudden....nothing significant happened between us to attract me to her, and it's not like she's nice to me or anything. The contrary actually. So why do I miss her during basketball sessions?  
  
She's never showed any feelings for me and doesn't seem to care whether I'm dead or alive...neither has she deliberately picked fights with me. I'm the one doing all that and more.  
  
I feel stupid. I should be contented with basketball and not bother about such folly.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Sakuragi  
  
Swimming today was fun- Youhei, Noma, Okusu and Takamiya came to watch. We(being the other swimmers and myself, and not Youhei and co) played water polo and I was the goalie. Noma and Okusu pushed Takamiya into the deep end of the pool when he wasn't looking. He can't swim but given his frame, he was able to float easily.  
  
They're going to Danny's again later....and maybe try to sneak into the Pachinko. I'd like to come along but I have to go to work. Even with them paying for my meals, I still need to work to support myself.  
  
School's fine- although I don't go straight home now, I'm still ahead of the others in schoolwork. I've done almost all the questions in the textbooks as well as in the assignment books- so I've pretty much covered all the homework I could possibly get this year. Which leaves me free for other activities.  
  
I'm going to be late if I don't hurry now.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Rukawa  
  
I'm going to risk it. I'll go for the romantic approach.  
  
Where's the nearest candy store? I've bought the flowers already.  
  
  
  
  
  
What tastes nice? Mint-filled chocolates? Or Milk chocolates? Chocolates with macadamias or chocolates with berries? Dark chocolate or white?  
  
ARGHHHH!!!! I'm developing a splitting headache looking at the wide selection!  
  
"Can I help you?" a friendly voice asks.  
  
I turn to the speaker, relieved. And start.  
  
  
  
  
  
Sakuragi  
  
Oh my. What's HE doing here with a bouquet of flowers and choosing chocolates? Let me guess.....it's for his girl. I sigh. Of course. I wish I could sell him rotten tomatoes instead but......the customer is always right. And besides, my boss is supervising me from the counter.  
  
I clear my throat. "What kind of chocolates would you like, sir?"  
  
He looks slightly amused at that. "I don't know."  
  
"Well sir, what kind of chocolates does she like?"  
  
"She?" he blinks stupidly.  
  
"Your girlfriend. You're getting this for her right?" I ask, eyebrow raised.  
  
"Um, yeah."  
  
"So?"  
  
"So?" he echoes.  
  
"What kind of chocolates does she like?" I say, throwing my hands up in exasperation.  
  
"I don't know."  
  
Now it's my turn to blink. "You. Don't. Know." I repeat slowly.  
  
He nods.  
  
"What, are you stupid or something?" I ask, amused, "How can you not know what your girlfriend likes?"  
  
I hear a gasp come from the counter. Oh bloody hell. I forgot my boss is here.  
  
  
  
  
  
"Satisfied?" I snap at him.  
  
He doesn't respond.  
  
"I lost my job because you were too dumb to know what your girlfriend likes. Happy now?"  
  
My boss had booted me on the spot and had made me apologize to him for my rudeness. She didn't even give me my pay for this month! And, she even made me pay for the chocolates that he bought! And I noticed he selected the most expensive type of chocolates in the shop.  
  
I kick a stray can in frustration. Now I'd have to go job-hunting. Again.  
  
"You know what, kitsune?" I say suddenly.  
  
He looks at me but doesn't say a word. Fine.  
  
"I hate you." I don't know if I really mean it or not- the words just slipped out.  
  
He doesn't do anything. Just stares at the sky.  
  
"I'm going home," I say bitterly.  
  
"Oi."  
  
He dares to address me so rudely after what he's done to me? This guy sure has a thick skull.  
  
"What?" I snap. All I really want to do is cry, actually.  
  
He places the bouquet in my arms as well as the box of chocolates and before I can open my mouth, he leaves.  
  
"The nerve of him.....asking me to dump these for him," I curse bitterly, my tears starting to overflow.  
  
I'm just about to dump it all, including the cursed chocolates, into a trash can when I notice a card attached to the bouquet. Curiosity getting the better of me, I open the card. My eyes widen.  
  
In a neat scrawl, there was only one word written:  
  
'Aishteiruu.'  
  
I swallow, hard. I can't deny that I'm feeling more than a little jealous. I never knew the kitsune to be like this. His girlfriend is really lucky. Really lucky.  
  
For some reason, I throw the flowers away but keep the card, although it wasn't addressed to me.  
  
Now for the chocolates. I've decided to keep the chocolates. After all, I paid for them and it'd be stupid for me to throw them away just because I'm angry with the kitsune.  
  
The boys will like these treats anyway.  
  
I walk slowly towards home....my hands fingering the card in my pocket every so often.  
  
  
  
  
  
Youhei came over for dinner. He helped me prepare dinner and we sat down to lovely meal(courtesy of his skill as a chef) of shiitake mushrooms and grilled eel. After which I placed the box of chocolates in front of him and urged him to eat some.  
  
He looked at me curiously before obliging.  
  
"There's money in here!" he said, surprised.  
  
I blinked.  
  
  
  
  
  
I removed the bills delicately from the box and counted it- it covered more than the cost of the chocolates..and more than what my boss owed me....and among the bills, there was a note.  
  
Sumimaseng.  
  
My eyes widened. This seemed to be addressed to me. What of the flowers then? Were they for me too?  
  
I shook my head. Not possible. Not possible at all.  
  
  
  
  
  
I've been lying in bed for the past three hours but I can't seem to go to sleep. My thoughts keep drifting to him. Were the flowers meant for me? If they were, did he really mean what he wrote? Or is he just pulling my leg? I sigh. I don't think I'll be able to sleep tonight.  
  
  
  
  
  
Mito  
  
Let me guess: both Sakuragi and Rukawa won't be sleeping tonight.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Rukawa  
  
I can't sleep. I can't SLEEP. This is ridiculous. Sleeping is what I do best. Aside from playing basketball that is. The d'aho's face keeps appearing before me.  
  
Stinking trash- I can't SLEEP!!!!  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Sakuragi  
  
My head feels woozy today. I don't think I'll go to school.  
  
  
  
Rukawa  
  
I didn't get a wink last night so now I'm pretty much incapacitated. No school for me today, by order of the family doctor, who's my uncle by the way.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Sakuragi  
  
I was bored and restless, so I wandered out.  
  
I'm in a very unfamiliar part of town...a very rich and posh estate. I look in wonder and envy at the huge mansions with their enormous front lawns and huge, towering gates.  
  
I think I should make a u-turn here.  
  
  
  
  
  
Rukawa  
  
Nurse agreed to let me out for some air so now I'm strolling along the private road leading to the estate. I can't get her (not the nurse. HER.) out of my head damn it. Everything I see reminds me of her.  
  
Even that girl in front of me.  
  
I blink. Sakuragi Hanami? Here?  
  
I pick up my pace......slowly at first, eventually breaking into a run.  
  
"D'aho," I say, just to make sure.  
  
She turns around in surprise, freezes in mid-stride, recovers, then yells back at me.  
  
"Teme kitsune!"  
  
Yep. It's her all right.  
  
  
  
  
  
Sakuragi  
  
Rukawa? What's he doing here? Oh. I get it. He lives here. Obviously. My IQ seems to be dropping 20 points every day.  
  
"Kitsune," I say, not knowing what else to say.  
  
"D'aho."  
  
I break off eye contact and stare at the ground. "Arigatou," I whisper.  
  
"Hnn."  
  
I contemplate asking him about the flowers when he speaks.  
  
"One-on-one?"  
  
"Do the same conditions apply?" I ask.  
  
He nods.  
  
"But why? I'm better off not being in the club and you know that! You didn't even bother teaching me how to shoot because you knew how hopeless I am," I protest.  
  
"One-on-one," he stubbornly insisted.  
  
"Fine. I don't see why we should even bother," I comply.  
  
But I'm not going to quit swimming no matter what.  
  
  
  
  
  
He starts first and easily scores within seconds. My turn and I dribble the ball easily, trying to find a way to cut in and get past him. There. An opening.  
  
I slip through and aim to shoot. As anticipated, the ball rebounds off the net. I leap to get the rebound but be grabs the ball first.  
  
He shoots and scores.  
  
  
  
  
  
This hopeless game goes on till the score is 9-0 with the odds against me. Another point and he'd win.  
  
I'm especially determined to let him win. My logic is that maybe he'll realize that I am a hopeless case after all.  
  
So when he tries to shoot, I don't bother trying to block. The ball rebounds off the net.  
  
Again he shoots, and again it misses.  
  
And again. In my annoyance, I actually guard him properly this time. And the ball goes sailing in.  
  
I raise an eyebrow in question.  
  
"You don't play, I won't either, d'aho."  
  
"So I lost. See? I'm hopeless! The club should give up on me!" I tell him.  
  
"I won. You have to return."  
  
"No no, you see, all the more I SHOULDN'T come back!" I press.  
  
"No."  
  
"Yes!"  
  
"No."  
  
"Yes!"  
  
"No."  
  
"Yes!"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"No! I mean yes! Baka kitsune! You're sly!" I shake a fist at him.  
  
The corners of his mouth twitch. I can't help but notice how cute he is when he's like that.  
  
"I'm not quitting swimming!" I declare defiantly.  
  
"You are."  
  
"Am not!"  
  
"Are."  
  
"Not!"  
  
"Are."  
  
"Not!"  
  
"Are."  
  
"Not!"  
  
"Not."  
  
"Not!" I stuck my tongue out at him, "NYAHAHAHAH!!! You can't fool me twice!"  
  
His mouth curves into the tiniest smile.  
  
"You should smile more, kitsune," I say without thinking.  
  
"Hnn."  
  
"I don't want to quit swimming, please," I can't believe I'm actually begging him, but I am.  
  
"Hnn."  
  
"Kitsune, don't do this to me," I plead.  
  
"Hnn."  
  
I sniff.  
  
Rukawa shifts uncomfortably.  
  
I sniff louder.  
  
He twiddles his thumbs nervously.  
  
I cover my face and turn away, sobbing as if my heart would break. Well, my heart would break if I had to give swimming up.  
  
"You can still swim d'aho. Training days are different."  
  
I freeze then slowly turn to him.  
  
"You should have told me sooner!" I yell, enraged, pointing an accusing finger at him.  
  
He shrugs.  
  
"TEME KITSUNE OTOKO!!!! You're sly!"  
  
He smiles. As in, he really smiles. I stop and stare.  
  
"Ne, kitsune, you've got a nice smile you know that?" I say absently.  
  
"You've got a loud voice."  
  
"TEME!!! I was complimenting you!"  
  
"So was I."  
  
"Oh."  
  
Silence.  
  
"I should go now....."  
  
He nodded.  
  
"Jya ne."  
  
We parted ways...me feeling more than a little reluctant to leave.....why? 


	7. easy peasy so what's next?

Mito  
  
"I heard what happened," Haruko says excitedly.  
  
"What did you hear?" I ask, slightly amused.  
  
"Sakuragi-chan's going to play basketball again!"  
  
"Oh? And who told you that?"  
  
"We did!" Noma, Okusu and Takamiya magically appear from behind the corner.  
  
"Really. And you believe them?" I snort.  
  
Haruko gasps. "You mean she's not? Oh! I really hoped Sakuragi-chan would come back to the club! They miss her a lot!"  
  
"Really?" a voice came wafting over, sounding very amused.  
  
"Sakuragi-chan!" Haruko flings herself at the other girl excitedly.  
  
"Aa..anou...." Sakuragi laughs nervously, a bit startled.  
  
"Are you going to play basketball again? Please say yes!" Haruko begs her.  
  
"Aa......"  
  
"D'aho."  
  
Sakuragi whips around upon hearing the voice.  
  
"Kitsune!" she scowls. I note that her eyes are shining a little as she looks at him though.  
  
"D'aho. Don't block the hallway."  
  
"Teme kitsune!" she calls after him as he brushes past.  
  
"Hnn."  
  
Haruko has let go of her as Rukawa strode past. The girl is hopelessly in love with him, anyone can see that. The kitsune, however, is obviously oblivious. Or simply ignorant. Or doesn't give a damn.  
  
Anyhow, he ignores her adoring eyes and instead turns to give a final glance at Sakuragi before entering his classroom.  
  
"D'aho. Don't forget."  
  
And is that actually a smile I see on the Ice King's face?  
Sakuragi  
  
For some reason, I can't wait for school to end. I haven't been paying attention the whole day. I know I'm missing out a lot but I can always ask my classmates. They'll be more than happy to help me out, I'm sure.  
Mito  
  
She's been staring into space with a secretive smile on her face the whole day. I can guess what she's thinking about. Or, to be more precise, WHO she's thinking about.  
Akagi  
  
"Go- I mean, Sempai," Rukawa walks up to me suddenly, and tugs me aside.  
  
"What is it Rukawa?" I ask, trying not to sound too surprised that the Ice King of Shohoku has just walked up to me and wants to have a private word.  
  
"Can the d'aho join again?"  
  
"What?" Did I hear that correctly?  
  
"The d'aho. Can she join the team again?"  
  
I gape speechless at him. He's asking me if Sakuragi can re-join the team? What is the world coming to? I thought those two were like a cat and a dog.  
  
"Sakuragi? She wants to join the club again?" I ask. I know I sound stupid but I feel the need to allay my doubts.  
  
He nods.  
  
"Well......I guess she can. What made her change her mind?" I ask, curious.  
  
"Me."  
Rukawa  
  
Well, I made sure Gori would accept her in the team again. It was easier than I expected- they obviously miss the d'aho. Come to think of it, I do too. That's why I challenged her to a one-on-one match. I knew it was a handicapped game, but I don't care. I want her back in the team. That's all I care about.  
Sakuragi  
  
School's out! I'm on my way to the gym, with a bunch of 'friends'. My real friends are somewhere behind me.....why is it that these posers are near me while my friends are not? I'm still not used to all this socializing.  
  
I enter the gym somewhat shyly. Ayako and Megane-kun catch sight of me and rush over.  
  
"Sakuragi-chan! Are you back to play basketball again?" they ask excitedly.  
  
I nod shyly.  
  
"Yokatta!" Ayako gives me a hug while Megane-kun slaps me lightly on the back.  
  
"Ano......can I join the club again?" I ask awkwardly.  
  
"Of course! Of course! Wait till Miyagi and Mitsui hear this! They'll be so happy to have you back!" Megane-kun tells me excitedly.  
  
"Ano....what about Gori?"  
  
"Baka!" A fist connects itself with my head sending my head spinning.  
  
"Itai! Teme Gori!" I cry out. There's only one person who ever punches my head.  
  
"I'm not Gori! My name is Akagi!"  
  
"Hai hai....." I sulk.  
  
"Say it."  
  
"Say what?"  
  
"Say my name."  
  
"Gori," I say stubbornly.  
  
Another punch on the head.  
  
"Itai! Teme Gori! It hurts!"  
  
"Then stop calling me Gori!"  
  
"But that's your name! If I don't call you Gori, what do I call you then?"  
  
His vein almost pops. "BAKA MONGA!!!!!!!!!"  
  
Fortunately Megane-kun stops him in time.  
  
"Maa maa, Akagi! You'll kill her if you keep punching her," he tells him.  
  
"She deserves it!"  
  
"Hear that Megane-kun? Gori wants me dead!" I say tearfully.  
  
"I'm not Gori!" he shouts at me.  
  
"Sou da."  
  
Gori stops and stares.  
  
"So you'll stop calling me that?" he asks, unable to conceal the wonder in his voice.  
  
Yeah right.  
  
"Iie," I answer cheekily.  
  
"Why you!!!!" He chases me around the gym.  
  
Youhei and the others are laughing their heads off.  
  
"Hanami-chan! You sure know how to make a gorilla mad!" guffaws Takamiya.  
  
That was definitely not the right thing to say, because seconds later, he was lying on the floor with a huge lump on his head.  
  
Poor thing. You need to have a thick skull to survive his Gori punches. I wonder if he'll live.  
Rukawa  
  
What's that ruckus coming from the gym?  
  
Ah. She's here already. No wonder there's a racket going on.  
  
"D'aho," I say.  
  
"Teme kitsune!" she breaks off her argument with Mitsui and Miyagi.  
  
I sigh.  
  
Her eyes narrow and she looks at me suspiciously.  
  
"What are you looking at d'aho?"  
  
"Nothing." And she resumes her argument with the two of them.  
Haruko  
  
I heard some girls saying that Sakuragi-chan is in the gym playing basketball so I rushed there with Fujii-chan and Matsui-chan.  
  
Sure enough Sakuragi-chan was there, engaged in a fierce argument of sorts with Miyagi-san and Mitsui-san. I was so happy to see her that I forgot Rukawa was there and squealed in delight, hugging Sakuragi-chan as if she were my bolster.  
Sakuragi  
  
"Aa..ano, Haruko-san?" I try to remove her death grip on my neck. "I can't breathe."  
  
"Ah! Gomen! Gomen!" she removes her hands immediately and apologizes. "I'm just so happy to see you here!"  
  
"Iie...daijoubu desu..." I rub my neck to try to get some feeling back into it.  
  
"Well, if you've all said your hellos, I'd like to start the session now," Akagi says irritably.  
  
"Hai hai....." I say in response.  
Ayako  
  
"You," I point my fan at her.  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"You. The other court. Go." I shoo her into the empty court.  
  
"Demo Ayako-san! Why?" she wails.  
  
"You need to practice shooting, that's why."  
  
"B-but why can't I practice passing?" she asks.  
  
"Because you're already good at that. And at everything else but shooting. So we're going to focus on your shots," I tell her.  
  
"How are we going to do that?" she asks, "You saw me last time- and there was nothing wrong with how I shot! The ball just won't go in!"  
  
"Oh, I'll just be standing here to watch you. I won't be teaching you how to shoot," I say.  
  
"Sou? Who's going to teach me then?"  
  
"HOHOHOHOHO~" a cheerful voice drifts over from the doorway.  
  
"Anzai-sensei!" All of us greet him and bow.  
Sakuragi  
  
Who's this tub of lard?  
  
"This is Anzai-sensei, our coach," Ayako introduces him to me.  
  
I bow slightly, out of respect. Seriously, he's a coach?  
  
"He used to be a national player," she went on to say.  
  
I try to visualize him in basketball attire and running after the ball. No can do. It's too gross a sight.  
  
"HOHOHOHOHO~ Sakuragi-chan, I've heard a lot about you," the tubby man laughs heartily.  
  
"You have, oyaji?" I ask, surprised. I didn't know I was so famous.  
  
"BAKA! Don't call him that!" Mitsui yells at me.  
  
"Why?" I ask. I mean why not? Why can't I call him that? He is an old man after all.  
  
"Show some respect baka!" Miyagi reprimands me.  
  
"Hai hai...." I sigh.  
  
The barrel with legs only laughs harder.  
  
"HOHOHOHOHOHO~ you're a lively one, Sakuragi-chan!"  
  
I don't say anything.  
  
"Akagi told me you're a fantastic dribbler and an excellent point guard. But, you need to learn how to shoot I hear," he laughs.  
  
"That's not funny," I say, my voice a little sulky.  
  
Ayako jabs me in the ribs. "Don't worry, he's not laughing at you. He's always laughing."  
  
"Hontou ni?"  
  
She nods.  
  
Okay then.  
  
I stare at his smiling face a little while longer before saying, "So, oyaji, are we just going to stand around here all day or are you going to teach me how to shoot?"  
  
Predictably enough, he laughs.  
"Show me how you shoot," he tells me.  
  
I nod and comply. I run in for a lay-up shot. The ball rebounds against the net as it always does.  
  
"I see. Do you know what you're doing wrong?" he asks.  
  
"Iie. No one can tell me either."  
  
"You need to lay the ball."  
  
"Aren't I laying the ball already?" I ask.  
  
He laughs. "HOHOHOHOHO~ you're doing it wrongly. There's no need for you to thrust the ball up into the net. Just push it up gently and place it. Use the tips of your fingers to push it into the net."  
  
"Sou da....." I muse. So that's why I haven't been able to score. I've been straining my arm.  
  
"Try to shoot now," he tells me.  
  
I run in for another shot but this time, I follow his advice- I just push the ball lightly and in it goes. For the very first time.  
  
"I did it!" I jump for joy. Youhei and the others celebrate from the sidelines.  
  
"Nice one Hanami!" Youhei calls out to me encouragingly.  
  
"She finally scores! I told you so! You owe me 500 yen!" Okusu holds out his hand triumphantly. Stupid boys! Are they really my friends? They're actually betting on me!  
  
"Very nice, Sakuragi-chan," praises Anzai-sensei.  
  
I smile.  
  
"Now, can you repeat that?"  
  
I nod. "Of course."  
Akagi  
  
We all turned around when her laughter rang throughout the gym.  
  
So, I see she's finally scored her first goal. Let's see if she can do it again.  
I take that back.  
Ayako  
  
Once she's placed a shot, the ball just keeps going in. It's like she's perfected everything already and is just doing it again and again. I've never seen such a swift learner in my life.  
  
And obviously, neither has Anzai-sensei nor any of the others. Sempai looks amazed.  
  
"Ganbatte yo Sakuragi-chan!" I call out.  
  
She flashes a thumbs-up at me and goes in for another shot.  
  
That's her nineteenth consecutive successful shot. Very nice.  
Haruko  
  
Sakuragi-chan is a tensai! She's shooting faultlessly now! After just some advice from Anzai-sensei, without any demonstration whatsoever, she's shooting as if she's played basketball all her life! I'm so happy she changed her mind about basketball!  
Matsui  
  
I'm impressed.  
Fujii  
  
Sugoii....  
Takamiya  
  
"Kakoii ne, Hana-chan!"  
Okusu  
  
"Ganbatte Hanami!"  
Noma  
  
"Hanami! Hanami!"  
Mito  
  
You show them, Hana.  
Rukawa  
  
Hnn. So she can shoot. The only thing she was doing wrong before was that she was straining her arm too much. I could have told her that, but why bother?  
Sakuragi  
  
Hah. Easy peasy.  
  
"What's next oyaji?"  
  
"HOHOHOHOHOHO~ I think we can move on with the more advanced shots now, ne?" he laughs.  
  
I smile in agreement.  
  
"We'll try to shoot from outside. That should be simple enough."  
  
"Hai."  
"You stand with your legs apart, knees bent a little and aim to shoot. Then push upwards so that you transfer more energy to the ball," Anzai-sensei instructs me.  
  
"Hai. Wakateruu."  
  
The ball goes sailing in, in a perfect arc.  
  
"Beautiful form," he praises me.  
  
"I'll do it again," I tell him. This is fun.  
Practice is over and I'm anything but tired. I keep shooting, again and again.  
  
Mitsui and Miyagi come over to compliment me. I'm so happy I give them both a hug. Mitsui, being Mitsui, steals a quick kiss, making me blush furiously. Miyagi is contented with just a hug. After all, he already belongs to Ayako-san, even if she denies it.  
  
They promised to come watch me swim tomorrow since there's no practice. Cool.  
  
The others all leave but not before congratulating me. I feel so accomplished. They're kicking up a fuss over nothing. It's about time my shots went it. It's no big deal. Well, actually it is, but I'm not going to show it. That first outburst was quite embarrassing.  
  
The kitsune's nowhere in sight. Maybe he already left. Oh well. I just wanted to thank him anyway. Nothing much. I can always thank him another time.  
  
I guess that's enough shooting for now. I'm ravenous. The boys have already gone. They had offered to wait but I insisted that they leave first. I never know what time I'll stop. Anyway, I guess I have to cook dinner tonight. I sigh as I place the ball in the cage.  
  
"What are you sighing for, d'aho," came that all too familiar voice.  
  
"Kitsune," I turn to face him, surprised, "You're still here!"  
  
"Obviously," he deadpanned. He was leaning against the doorframe, blocking the passage. His tall stature looked elegant as he was silhouetted against the dim lighting of the locker room. I blush and turn away. I hope he didn't see that.  
  
He came into the room and opened his locker. I could smell the cologne he had on him. Nice.  
  
"Ano...kitsune," I begin, cheeks heating up for no reason, "arigatou."  
  
His eyebrow shoots up.  
  
"I'm not going to say why," I say stubbornly, "that's all I'm going to say. Arigatou."  
  
"Hnn." He snorts. "D'aho."  
  
I decide to let the insult pass.  
  
"Jya ne kitsune," I say to him.  
  
"You're leaving already d'aho?" he asks.  
  
"Hai."  
  
"Hnn."  
  
"I've got to cook dinner...I'm starving," I say. Why am I even telling him this?  
  
"You cook?" he asks, surprised.  
  
"Yes. I cook."  
  
He looks me up and down.  
  
Annoyed, I snap at him. "What? I don't look like I can cook?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Stupid kitsune." He's right though. I can't cook for nuts. But I haven't much of a choice anyway. The money he refunded me I used up already. To pay for the electric and water bills. I'm completely broke now. And I still haven't found a job yet.  
  
I sigh. Well, that's the story of my life, like it or not. I trudge slowly out of the room, anything but eager to get home and cook....do I even have anything to cook in the first place? I try to recall. No. Didn't think so. I guess I'll just have to starve, hungry as I am. Ah well, there are kids in Africa and in other parts of Asia where they go without food for days, even weeks. If they can live, so can I. The thought comforts me a little. My stomach's not convinced though.  
  
*GROWL*  
  
Stupid stomach. Can't you shut up for once?  
Rukawa  
  
I know she's hungry. I'm guessing she'll starve again tonight. I asked tou-saan's secretary to get me everything she could find about the d'aho. I know she's an orphan, lives alone, and has plenty of useless relatives. Her uncle's loaded and lives in my area but has never bothered to check on his brother's child. The asshole. I'll ask tou-saan to bring the bastard to court for neglect one day.  
  
Right now though, I'm just worried. No one should be allowed to starve when there's plenty of food around. It's like a honeybee surrounded in a forest of acorn trees. Or a grizzly bear in a sugar cane forest. Or a - - why in the world am I going on about this?  
  
She's hungry but isn't complaining. I never finish my food. I feel so spoilt now. Before she walks out of hearing range, I call after her.  
  
"Oi, d'aho."  
  
"What?" She's making a weird face. I think she's really hungry.  
  
"Are you hungry?" I kick myself mentally. Of course she is! Her stomach wouldn't be growling if she weren't!  
  
"Iie. I'm just having a rigorous stomach contraction, that's all," she lies.  
  
"Because you're hungry," I state simply.  
  
"Iie. It happens sometimes for no reason," she smiles artificially. As if I'm going to fall for that. She must think me stupid or something.  
  
"D'aho. Let's go get dinner."  
  
The look on her face was really priceless. I won't forget it anytime soon. 


	8. pigs can fly more than once can't they?

Sakuragi  
  
He offered to take me out to dinner. I guess he feels sorry for me. I hate being pitied. Stupid stomach- couldn't you have shut up for once? Why do you always give me away?  
  
We're waiting for the waiter to serve our food now. We're in some fancy restaurant. I can feel the other diners staring at us. I can understand why. Everyone's dressed so smartly while the two of us are clad in sports gear. And I haven't even showered yet. This is embarrassing. I'm stinking the whole place up.  
  
The violinist has come over to our table. I stare at his violin with interest.  
  
"Oi. D'aho."  
  
"What is it kitsune?" I'm too distracted to argue with him right now.  
  
"Do you want to play it?"  
  
I stare at him. "Are you serious?"  
  
He looks back at me steadily. Okay, so he is serious. "Um, can I?"  
  
He snorts and with a slight movement of his head, the violinist thrusts the instrument into my hands.  
  
I stare at it. It's beautifully crafted. The wood's solid and in a classy mahogany red. It's expertly stringed and made of the finest thread you can find. I trace the violin lovingly.  
Rukawa  
  
I never knew she liked violins. It wasn't in the files.  
  
"Oi. D'aho. Play it," I tell her.  
  
I'm curious. Can she play that complex instrument?  
Sakuragi  
  
When he tells me to play it, I don't hesitate to oblige. I haven't touched a violin in ages. Not since I was seven.  
  
I pause for a moment to decide what I should play, then, closing my eyes, I pull the bow over the strings. And soon, the haunting melody fills the restaurant.  
Rukawa  
  
She can play the violin. What's that song she's playing? It's got a very sad tune to it, a very melancholic piece. I've never heard it before.  
  
Everyone's turned to stare at us. At her, to be more exact. The restaurant's gone completely silent- all forms of conversation have died down.  
  
I smile.  
Sakuragi  
  
As I end the final note, I'm rewarded with a burst of applause from the audience I didn't know I had. I blush and hurriedly thrust the instrument back at the violinist who is also clapping hard.  
  
"That was lovely!" he tells me excitedly.  
  
"A-arigatou." I sink lower in my chair.  
  
What was I doing? I'm already attracting enough attention with my red hair and casual attire in this glitzy restaurant- what more when I started playing?  
  
Damn it. This is so awkward.  
Rukawa  
  
The d'aho's turning as red as her hair. I guess she's embarrassed being in the limelight. I have to admit she played beautifully- she looked lost in her own world when she was playing the violin.  
  
She looks up and I catch her eye.  
  
A slow, tentative smile spreads over my features. I don't know why she has this effect on me. I smile more than I have in my entire life when I'm with her.  
  
Her blush deepens and she lowers her eyes.  
  
I stare. I never knew she was capable of that. I guess there are lots of things I don't know about her, even with all the records I have.  
Sakuragi  
  
The kitsune is actually smiling at me. His smile looks sincere, but I don't know if he's just teasing me. I don't understand why I feel uncomfortable under his gaze and why I have to blush when he looks at me.  
  
This is stupid. I want to go home.  
  
But....the food's not here yet.  
Finally! The waiter arrives with the food! Yay! I tuck in happily.  
Rukawa  
  
I can see her eyes lighting up in childish excitement when the waiter served us our dishes.  
  
"Itekimasu!" she says happily before tucking in.  
Sakuragi  
  
I can feel his gaze on me as I eat.  
  
"Ano....." I look up to meet his eyes. "Is there something on my face?  
  
He doesn't say a word.  
  
"Ano....kitsune?"  
  
He just stares at me. I feel my cheeks flaming up under his intense scrutiny.  
  
"K-kitsune?" my voice comes out shrill and shaky.  
  
He finally blinks. "Just eat d'aho."  
  
"Aa....hai..."  
  
I can still feel his eyes on me as I finish my meal. What's wrong with him?  
"I'll walk you home."  
  
"Nani? What did you say kitsune?" I ask, not trusting my ears. They have been known to deceive.  
  
"D'aho. Let's just go."  
  
I don't budge from my seat.  
  
Sighing, he tugs at my wrist lightly. "Come on d'aho. It's really late you know."  
  
I refuse to budge.  
  
"D'aho." He tugs harder.  
  
I still don't move. There's something weird about the kitsune today. I don't trust him right now.  
  
He pulls harder and would have yanked me off the chair if he hadn't suddenly realized that it would only serve to topple the table, as well as the expensive china plates.  
Rukawa  
  
Why won't the d'aho get up? What does she want me to do? Carry her?  
Sakuragi  
  
All right, all right. He's going to rip my arm off if I don't obey. Geez.  
Rukawa  
  
Finally the d'aho decides to move. Any later and I would have thrown her off the chair.  
  
Still holding on to her wrist, I lead her out of the restaurant.  
Sakuragi  
  
He's really walking me home. All the way. He lives at the other end of town and he's walking me home.  
  
"Ano.....kitsune, I can go home myself you know," I tell him.  
  
"D'aho." His grip on my wrist tightens.  
  
Oh. He hasn't let go of my hand yet. It feels odd, to have his hand on mine. We're not holding hands- he's just gripping my wrist.....to make sure I don't run away? That's not going to happen anytime soon if that's what he's worried about. I'm not going anywhere but home. I'm full and contented and all I want to do is go off into slumber land.  
  
Anyways, he's still holding on to my hand. His grip is tight and it hurts.  
  
"Ano, kitsune? You're hurting me."  
  
He looks down at his hand in surprise. Apparently he hasn't realized he'd been squeezing my hand hard.  
  
He lets go quickly and mumbles an unintelligible apology that I somehow figured out.  
  
I massage my hand. This guy is scary. If he wanted to, he can break me easily.  
  
We walk in uncomfortable silence for a while. At least, I feel it's uncomfortable. I don't know what he makes of it.  
  
"Arigatou, kitsune. For the dinner," I say softly, my voice barely above a whisper.  
  
"Hnn."  
  
I blush for no reason and walk with my head down, not daring to glance sideways at him.  
  
"Why." He says.  
  
"Huh?" I ask, looking up.  
  
"Why do you call me kitsune?" he prods.  
  
I smile mischievously. "It's for me to know and for you to find out."  
  
"D'aho."  
We're at my door now. I feel....weird.  
  
"Ano..." what do you say to someone who's walked you home? The only person who walks me home is Youhei. I rack my brains trying to find something proper to say.  
  
Hold on a minute. It's only the kitsune. What's the big deal? Just say anything and send him on his way.  
  
What do I say then?  
  
"D'aho."  
  
"Teme kitsune! Will you stop calling me that!"  
  
"If you stop calling me that."  
  
"But it becomes you!" I insist.  
  
"Why?"  
  
I blush. "I told you. Find it out yourself."  
  
Rukawa stares at me..... as in, he's really staring at me. Not in his usual disinterested manner, nor his annoyed gaze. He's really staring. I don't know how to describe it.  
  
"K-kitsune?" I ask meekly.  
Rukawa  
  
"K-kitsune?" she asks meekly.  
  
Suddenly, her calling me kitsune doesn't seem too bad at all. In fact, it seems quite.....pleasant. I'm the only one she calls kitsune.  
  
Who would have known that I'd fall for this redhead? On first impression, I'd thought her as cool and aloof as me, but as time progressed, she opened up and became more....temperamental? Is that right? Now, I see her as this fiery, vibrant ball of energy. Who would have thought she was hiding the sun beneath that cool layer of frost?  
  
I sound so totally cheesy. Is this what happens when you're in love? Because that's what I think I'm feeling. I think I'm in love with the d'aho.  
  
How that came about I can't explain. It just....happened.  
She opened the door, hesitated awhile before deciding to invite me in. I guess she thought it only polite to let me in after I walked her all the way.  
  
"Kitsune? Do you want anything to drink?" she asks.  
  
I nod distractedly. Her house is tiny but amazingly neat and nicely decorated. She's got simple yet stylish taste. Everything's so well coordinated. It's like a designer's studio.  
  
She comes out of the kitchen holding two cups of water. I accept one from her and absently put it to my lips, not watching my step. I trip over something and splash the water on the floor, not to mention all over my shirt.  
  
"Kitsune!" she exclaims, her voice sounding funny. I glance at her. She looks half amused and half exasperated.  
  
"Hnn." I bent forward to pick the object that I tripped on.  
  
It was a beautiful music box. I narrow my eyes to read the engraving on the wood.  
  
'Sakuragi'  
  
Someone must have given this to her then. Someone close to her, no doubt. The box looks costly.  
  
"Ano......" she grabs it away from me quickly.  
  
Fine. It must be really personal.  
  
"Kitsune...you're dripping water all over..." She points out.  
  
I look down and realize she's right.  
  
Sighing softly, she gets a towel from the kitchen, takes the cup away from me, wipes the floor and stares at my wet shirt.  
  
"Take it off. Go change now. You'll catch a cold."  
  
"No." I say stubbornly.  
  
"Come on. I've got a spare shirt."  
  
"No."  
  
She pulls me to her room and digs into her cupboard to find a shirt. While she's doing that, I take in her room layout.  
  
It was as tastefully decorated as the hall and the kitchen. There were several portraits hanging on the wall and some frames on her dresser. Her books were placed neatly on her table and there was a shelf-full of encyclopedias and literary works. What caught my attention was her bed.  
  
It was large. King-sized I think. Mine's the same size. Unlike mine though, she had numerous pillows heaped on her bed and some soft toys.  
  
I wonder how she sleeps. The pillows occupy more space than her.  
  
"Here kitsune! This should fit you!" she hands me a men's polo tee.  
  
Whose shirt is that?  
  
As if reading my mind, she answered my unspoken question.  
  
"It belonged to my tousaan. I bought it for his birthday....but..... he passed away before I could give it to him," she smiled sadly.  
  
I accepted the shirt without any complaints.  
  
"Go change all right? I'll just be in the kitchen."  
  
She leaves me to change.  
I take the opportunity to explore her room.  
  
First I scrutinize the portraits.  
  
There were two people in all three portraits- probably her parents. The man was tall and handsome with dark hair and brown eyes. The woman was a petite Caucasian and had the beautiful coppered curls that the d'aho had obviously inherited. She had exquisite features- not exactly stunning like the d'aho, but very proportionate. Like a doll. That's it. The d'aho's mother looked like an expensive doll.  
  
And I noticed something else.  
  
She didn't smile in any of the portraits. She had that stubborn look the d'aho has. I peered closely. Yes, when you look out for it, you'll realize that the d'aho's father was smiling a little too much. Maybe he was trying to smile for his wife as well.  
  
I decide to move on.  
  
What's this? The d'aho left the music box on the dresser. Curious, I open it.  
  
And that soft haunting melody from before, came tinkling out.  
  
"Kitsune?" her voice floated over from outside. "You done?"  
  
I grunt in response. I don't know if she heard it but I suppose she did since she kept quiet.  
  
I take off my wet shirt and am about to put on the black polo when I notice something stuck in a crevice in the box.  
  
I pull it out gently and open it. It was a letter.  
  
'Hanami-chan, this music box that you love so much belonged to your mother. I want you to have it.  
  
Tousaan'  
  
So the box wasn't the d'aho's. It was her mother's.  
  
The door opened suddenly and the d'aho stepped in, obviously too impatient to wait.  
  
"What are you doing taking so long to change? I'm sleepy already and I want to go to sleep! Your parents must be worried why you're still not- -" her words are cut short when she sees me in a state of undress.  
  
"What are you doing? Does it take so long to put on a shirt?" she raises her voice at me. I can tell she's embarrassed. So am I actually.  
  
I quickly pull the shirt over my head.  
  
"Baka kitsune," she mumbles, a faint blush staining her cheeks. She notices the letter in my hands.  
  
"Kitsune! How dare you pry into my affairs!" she tries to snatch the paper from my hand.  
  
I twist around so she can't get to it.  
  
"Give it back kitsune!"  
  
I hold it up in the air so she can't reach it. Her eyes narrow and she backs away several feet......before launching herself at me.  
  
I'm too surprised to react. Her momentum carries me forward and I close my eyes to brace the impact of the fall.  
  
It's surprisingly soft.  
  
I realize we've fallen onto her bed and the d'aho is on top of me, trying to pry my fingers off the paper.  
  
"Give it back kitsune! It's none of your business!" she sounds genuinely angry and I'm a little surprised. I only wanted to tease her.  
  
"Give it back! Stupid kitsune! You only trouble me!" the first tears start to fall.  
  
I freeze and slowly let go of the paper. I expect her to grab it immediately but she lets it drift slowly to the floor. Her hands go to her face and she starts to sob violently.  
  
I'm at a loss. Did I make the d'aho cry?  
*-*-*-*  
  
*huggles* to all my fantastic reviewers out there! 3 3 3  
  
------ next up: how does Rukawa handle a crying Sakuragi? ^^\/ 


	9. How VEXING!

Rukawa  
  
I made the d'aho cry. She's crying because of me.  
  
I don't know what to do. How do I stop her from crying? How do I make her smile again?  
  
I know. Kasaan always hugs me when I feel sad. That was when I was very young. I don't feel sad anymore. Maybe it might stop the d'aho from crying.  
  
It's worth a try.  
I raise my arms and tentatively bring them around her shaking body. She doesn't seem to acknowledge my touch so I take it as a welcome sign. Slowly, I pull her towards me and laid her head gently on my chest. And, after much debating, I run my hands up and down her back soothingly.  
  
That's what kasaan used to do when I felt sad.  
  
That's all I can think of.  
Sakuragi  
  
I'm sobbing into his chest. I can't believe I'm crying my heart out in front of him, of all people. I feel his arms around me and on the small of my back, rubbing me soothingly. My sobs eventually die down.  
  
I'm done crying. I blink back tears and raise my head to look down at him.  
  
His eyes are filled with something incomprehensible. I'm startled when he brings one hand to my face and wipes the remaining tears away. His touch is so gentle.....so comforting. Is this really the kitsune whom I used to 'hate' before?  
  
He caresses my cheeks tenderly and tucks a loose strand of hair behind my ear. Then, before I realize it, his other hand comes up and pushes my head down to his so that our lips meet.  
Rukawa  
  
I can taste her salty tears but it doesn't matter. Her lips are soft and tender and sweet. I kiss her gently at first, afraid of being rejected, but she's giving in, complying, and I become braver.  
  
I open her mouth and slide my tongue in. She moans a little and her body presses into mine. I take my cue and probe deeper. She gasps a little as my arms snake down to her waist and under her shirt. I feel some sense of urgency all of a sudden.  
  
She squirms against me but I hold her down. The kiss gets more heated and intense. I'm gasping for air but I'm not willing to pull away just yet. Not yet.  
  
I roll over her so that she's pinned below me now. Before I break away, I bite her lips softly. She gasps and her eyes widen at my sudden boldness. I don't know what's come over me. Neither do I care.  
  
"K-kitsune...." Her voice is hoarse and her lips swollen.  
  
"Urusai d'aho," I lean in for another intense session of tonguing.  
I end up not going home. It was already two in the morning when we were both worn out. The d'aho was blushing vehemently and avoiding my eyes. She jumped at my every touch.  
  
She didn't ask me to stay. I just invited myself.  
  
I watch, amused, as she piles the pillows up between us on the bed like some sort of barricade.  
  
"Oi."  
  
She freezes while arranging another pillow on top of three others.  
  
Cruelly, I throw the pillows aside and grab her, pulling her towards me. She protests and struggles to get away.  
  
"Kitsune! Yameruu!" she pleads.  
  
I stop and hold her at arms length and eye her quizzically.  
  
"What?" I ask.  
  
She blushes before answering. "Stop it please."  
  
"I just wanted to ask you where I'm going to rest my head if you're using all the pillows as a wall," I deadpan.  
  
"Oh." She looks embarrassed. I know what she thought I was doing. I was only teasing her.  
  
"Ano....you can have this," she passes me a pillow and gets off the bed to pick up those I'd thrown to the floor.  
  
Within seconds, I fall asleep.  
Sakuragi  
  
I'm too embarrassed to reflect on what happened. I've never had such a thing happen to me before. I try to go to sleep but his gentle snoring keeps me awake till morning.  
I'm all dressed up and showered for school. He's still fast asleep. I tried waking him up twice but I didn't get through to him.  
  
I shake him awake roughly. I've learnt from experience that shaking him gently is a waste of time and effort. He still doesn't budge. I smack him hard across the shoulder and still he's sound asleep. I pinch his nose. He grunts and I grin and remove my hand, thinking I'd successfully roused him. He only scratches his nose and rolls over.  
  
*sigh*  
  
I blush as I think of another way to wake him up. Sleeping Beauty style.  
  
Gently I press my lips against his and immediately his eyes flick open and his arms go around me.  
  
"Kitsune! Hanase yo! I just ironed my uniform!"  
  
"Hnn." But he relents all the same. I back away and straighten my slightly crumpled uniform.  
  
"I've washed your uniform- it's in the shower. Go get dressed. We'll be late for school if you don't hurry!" I push a groggy kitsune to the shower and lock the door behind him.  
  
He's got ten minutes to shower, get dressed and drown the coffee I made before Youhei comes to pick me up.  
Rukawa  
  
I blink several times while trying to digest what just happened. The d'aho woke me up- by kissing me- and pushed me into the shower where she'd already had the water running.  
  
I'm impressed. She sure knows how to take care of someone.  
Sakuragi  
  
"Kitsune! Hayakun!" I yell at him through the door.  
  
"D'aho," came the soft reply.  
  
"Teme kitsune! Hurry up will you! Youhei'll be here anytime soon and you need to get out of here before he does!"  
  
"D'aho."  
  
I throw my hands up in frustration. It's no use telling the kitsune what to do. He just won't listen.  
  
I lean against the bathroom door, trying to concoct a story that Youhei might buy when it opens suddenly. I lose my balance and fall backwards into those waiting arms.  
  
"D'aho."  
  
"Teme kitsune!" I blush, embarrassed, and push him away. So what if we kissed? I'm not about to throw myself at him anytime soon!  
  
"D'aho," came the usual monotonous reply. Unlike before, I don't get mad at him for calling me that. I guess I've somehow accepted it as his way of addressing me. And, unless I'm very much mistaken, the word sounds almost sweet on his lips.  
  
The doorbell rings.  
  
"Youhei!" I begin to panic. Should I hide the kitsune? Should I pretend I've already left for school and not open the door? Should I just tell him what happened? Or should I- -?  
  
The kitsune moves to open the door where a smiling Youhei is waiting.  
  
"Hana, I've got great news to share! Guess what- - Rukawa? What are you doing here?" he looks at the kitsune in surprise.  
  
"Hnn." He moves back to let Youhei in.  
  
"Hana?" Youhei raises an eyebrow at me.  
  
"Ohayo Youhei," I avoid his gaze and offer him a steaming mug of coffee instead. It had been meant for the kitsune but never mind him.  
  
"D'aho," he sighs and takes my mug instead.  
  
"Oi! Kitsune! That's mine!"  
  
He shrugs and drowns the boiling coffee down in one gulp. I gasp.  
  
"Oi kitsune! You'll wear down your esophagus walls if you do that!"  
  
"Hnn."  
  
"Don't say I didn't warn you!" I scold him. What am I doing? Scolding him? What in the world is happening to me?  
  
Youhei observes us with a knowing smile on his face.  
  
"What're you looking at?" I yell at him to cover my embarrassment.  
  
"Iie. Betsuni."  
Mito  
  
Sooooooo......what's this I see? The 'kitsune' has apparently managed to convince the 'd'aho' to let him in, and, unless my eyes are deceiving me, the 'kitsune' and the 'd'aho' have had some very, uh-hum, intimate moments.....seeing as both their lips are slightly swollen and all....  
  
*grin*  
  
You go get her, Rukawa.  
Hana's walking as far as possible from Rukawa, leaving me as the supposed buffer shield between herself and her sweetheart.  
  
She tried to explain herself and Rukawa, but I wasn't paying attention to her babbling. I was too engrossed observing how Rukawa's face seemed too stoic and emotionless- much more than before. He obviously isn't happy that his time alone with Hana is over. For now.  
  
I'm not dense. I know he wants me to get lost but I'm not about to do that. Hana is my best friend. And she seems glad to have me here so I'm hanging around.  
  
Besides, it's kind of fun to see the way these two act around each other.  
Sakuragi  
  
I can't face him. Damn it, Sakuragi Hanami, what is wrong with you? It's just the stupid kitsune for goodness sake! So what if you shared some very intense moments- it doesn't mean anything!  
  
But no matter how hard I try to convince myself, I know it does. The reason? I think I'm falling for the kitsune. Hard.  
I've got swimming today. As promised, Mitsui and Miyagi were already waiting for me at the poolside by the time I got there.  
  
Mitsui had already stripped down to a pair of boxer shorts (the swimming type, duh) and had on a pair of cool shades. Miyagi had a tee on but he'd also changed to shorts.  
  
"Hanami-chan!" they wave me over.  
  
"I see the both of you are all changed and ready to plunge into the pool," I say dryly.  
  
"Yeah. Mitsui-san here managed to convince your captain there to let us join in your game of water polo later," Miyagi grins at me while shielding his eyes from the sun.  
  
"Sou ka? And how did he do that?" I ask.  
  
"Let's just say I told him that if he didn't, a little secret of his would be made known to the school....." Mitsui drawls while stretching himself.  
  
"Black mail. You're a foul player, Mitchy," I tell him, laughing a little.  
  
"Don't call me that," he yawns, "Mitsui's such a nice name. Why can't you stick to it?"  
  
"Mitchy sounds cuter."  
  
"Really. Well, that's okay then."  
  
Hah. I knew he'd fall for that. But it's true anyhow. Mitchy sounds cuter, and well, more affectionate. I have a thing for giving nicknames. Not necessarily nice ones of course.  
  
"Captain says we're going to have a practice match with Ryonan soon. They were one of the Final Four last year," Miyagi says.  
  
"Ryonan? That's nice," I say while taking off my shoes and socks. "I'm going to go change. See you later."  
I stare at my reflection in the mirror. The girl looking back at me looked hideous. She had unruly red hair that tumbled down in long tresses over her shoulders and overly bright brown eyes the color of mud. Her face looked haunted and her cheekbones were too protruding. Her nose was too sharp and her eyebrows too arched. Her lashes were too long and her complexion too dark. And her lips too swollen.  
  
I run my hands over my lips, recalling how the kitsune had bit gently into them. There was still a mark there and I shiver as I remember how it felt to kiss the kitsune. It didn't feel too bad. Actually, not bad at all.  
  
The girl in the mirror stares back at me blankly. I hate the sight of her. She reminds me too much of ka-saan. She was the reason ka-saan died. And she was the reason tou-saan died as well.  
  
I sigh before tearing my gaze away from my reflection. It doesn't help to condescend yourself. Mitchy and Ryochin are waiting- I mustn't be too long.  
Mitsui  
  
Whoa. This babe looks hot in that swimsuit. That one too. And that one over there with the cute ponytail- nice bikini she's wearing.  
  
Maybe I'll come down to watch the swimmers more often.  
  
Even Miyagi who's hopelessly loyal to Ayako is checking the girls out. They've all got a very nice tan. I suppose anyone would if they trained thrice a week under the sun.  
  
I should thank Sakuragi for this. With her in the team, I've got an excuse to come by and feast on eye candy all day. Speaking of whom....here she comes now, all changed into her swimming gear.  
  
It's just a very simple swimsuit- not as revealing as the others but who says she needs to reveal anything? The girl will look hot even in winter clothes. Her suit was a white piece, very nice and sophisticated. It went very well with her coppery curls and dark reddish tan. She's like some bronze statue. Her legs are very nicely toned and when she turned around you could see her equally well-toned back. Her arms look sculptured as well- very typical of a swimmer. Unlike most swimmers though, her shoulders are proportionate to her body and not overly broad, plus, she's got a figure to die for.  
  
You can actually see some of the girls staring enviously at her. And the boys are openly drooling over her.  
  
Well, who am I to talk? My nose has ruptured and blood's flowing steadily out as I admire her.  
  
Nice.  
Miyagi  
  
I really shouldn't say this, but Hanami just blows the other girls away. The moment she came out of the changing room, every pair of eyes was fixed on that angelic face and that sexy figure.  
  
I'm glad Aya-chan's not here to see me nosebleed over Hanami.  
Sakuragi  
  
What's wrong with those two? Has the heat gotten to them or something? They're bleeding through their nose.  
  
Anyhow, Hisaki, my swimming captain suggested we start off with a game of water polo immediately. I guess what Mitchy threatened to spread must be pretty embarrassing.  
  
Well, here we go now..... 


	10. i spy with my little eye something red a...

Sakuragi  
  
Never in my wildest dreams did I ever imagine this to happen. Never.  
  
Who would have thought Mitchy would cream the boys' water polo team so easily? It was a humiliating defeat for Hisaki....but.....I sense that he'd rather lose than win over Mitchy. In fact, I think they lost on purpose. Now I'm really curious to know what Mitchy blackmailed him with. Hisaki's a proud guy- he won't give in so easily, but this time, I don't know what's wrong with his backbone.  
  
Anyhow, even if they let Mitchy and Ryochin win on purpose, no one can deny that those two played amazingly well. Especially Mitchy. He looked so amazingly hot...the other girls were sighing and giggling over him. And Mitchy, being the way he is, bathed in their adoration.  
  
*sigh*  
  
That guy is one hell of a.......hunk.  
  
*sigh*  
  
Well, I'm done showering already and am now waiting with Ryochin for his Royal Highness.  
  
"What is that guy doing in there?" Miyagi asks, visibly annoyed.  
  
"Preening himself most likely," I reply.  
  
"He can be so vain sometimes. As if he needs to bother. He looks like an idiot no matter how much he grooms himself."  
  
I laugh lightly. Mitchy might be a little idiotic sometimes (seeing as he has the mentality of a 10-year-old), but I'm not going to lie and say he's not cute. He's not. He's not cute. He's HOT. Period.  
  
Oh, and hear he comes now, running his fingers through his wet hair. The wet look really suits him. Really.  
  
"Hanami, why don't we grab a bite somewhere and maybe head to my place to talk or something," he smiles that model smile of his, showing his pearly whites.  
  
"Huh?" I answer stupidly.  
  
"Or something. You know Mitsui-san, I don't have a good feeling about this 'something' you're talking about," butts in Miyagi.  
  
"Oh, you don't have to bother, shorty. You're not invited."  
  
"NANI?!!!!!" Miyagi bristles at the provocation. He's very sensitive about his height.  
  
"Yare yare," Mitsui waves him off coolly, "Anyway, I was wondering if we could talk strategies later on. Since we're playing Ryonan, it'll help a lot if we planned our game."  
  
"You? Strategize?" asks Miyagi incredulously.  
  
"What's wrong with that?" rebukes Mitsui, annoyed, "What? I'm not allowed to do that? It's not legal?"  
  
"I-iie...." I can see that Ryochin's a bit bewildered. So am I actually. Mitchy sure can be surprising sometimes.  
  
"So? Come on Hanami. I've got a great place in mind......" Mitsui drags me away, leaving a rather perplexed Miyagi behind.  
  
Poor Ryochin. Poor me.  
I knew he was rich. I always knew he was much better off than I ever would be. I just never knew to what extent his wealth seemed to stretch. Him and the kitsune are one and the same. Rich boys. Spoiled brats. Cute faces. Hot bodies. Zillions of fan-girls.  
  
And me? Well, I'll always be poor little Sakuragi Hanami- an orphan and an abandoned child. I think I have an uncle who lives somewhere here in Kanagawa, but I never bothered to look him up and neither has he bothered to drop by for a visit. I'm unwanted you see. A burden no one wants to have anything to do with.  
  
Which is totally fine by me. I don't need anyone. I can live my own life. In fact, I've lived my own life, my way, the past 6 years or so. And I've made it this far. I'm proud of myself even if no one is. I'm going to Toudai. I'm going to be a 'someone' in the future. And I'll do it all alone.  
  
"Hanami?"  
  
Huh? Oh. Mitsui is waving his hand in front of my face, trying to snap me out of my little reverie.  
  
"Hanami, what do you want to eat?" he asks, settling himself back into his chair.  
  
"Um......" I open the menu and stare at it. Ooooooohhhh. It's all so French. It's no problem though. I've mastered the language since I was ten, right after tousaan died.  
  
"I would suggest this, this, this, and this," points Mitsui.  
  
"Hai. I'll trust your taste then," I reply, smiling a little. He can't read, but he knows what he wants. I can read, but I have no idea what I want. Ironic, life is.  
Dinner was a very peaceful affair. I enjoyed the food immensely, but more so the ambience, and well, company. Mitchy can be a real charmer. He's such a smooth talker.  
  
Anyhow, we walked to the park after dinner and sat on my favorite place- the swings. There, we started to discuss my abilities, or disabilities, to be more exact.  
  
"Ryonan's a strong team. This year, they've got Uozumi as their captain. And there's Ikegami as well- he's a good defender. But we've only to worry about one person. YOU only need to worry about one person, and that's Sendoh. Got that?" Mitsui tells me, looking at my face earnestly.  
  
"Hai, Wakarimashta. Demo, Mitchy....."  
  
He shakes his head, already predicting what I'd say next. "Sendoh Akira spells more trouble than the entire Ryonan team put together. He's their ace, no doubt, and he made headlines last year as a rookie. This year, I'll bet my Porsche that he's beyond normal players. He's a genius, and you've got to be careful around him."  
  
My eyes widen. "Sou? This Sendoh must be really good."  
  
"He plays with only half his ability most of the time. Doesn't see the need to put everything into the game unless the need calls for it. Last year, he faced Maki of Kainandai and Fujima of Shoyo and lost to them only narrowly."  
  
"Maki? Kainandai? Shoyo? Fujima?" my mind's in whirl right now. What are we talking about again?  
  
"All right. To put it simply, YOU need to stop Sendoh Akira from scoring in the game."  
  
"Why me? If he's as good as you make him out to be, then I'll be no match for him!" I protest.  
  
"He won't be prepared," Mitsui replies smugly.  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"You're a girl, if you've forgotten that. Sendoh Akira has never played against a girl before."  
  
That is so freaking sexist! Why do men think they're superior? Well, maybe because they're too full of stale air and expired ego. That should shed some light on this absurdity!  
  
"So?" I challenge him, my head cocked up defiantly.  
  
"And you're fast. You're fantastic at dribbling and stealing and you're quick to make decisions. Good ones. It'll help a lot if you played."  
  
See what I mean about him being such a smooth talker? It's hard to stay mad at him.  
  
"Ooookkaayyyy......." I oblige. Whoever said flattery gets you nowhere must have never been praised, much less flattered, before.  
  
"So I want you to learn all the shots."  
  
"No problem," I say confidently.  
  
Mitsui smiles at me. "That's what you say now. You haven't played in a game yet so you don't know how tough it is to shoot and score. If things were that simple, basketball would be pointless wouldn't it?"  
  
I smile. How true. Guess I'll have to play a game soon then.  
Sakuragi  
  
"HOHOHOHOHOHOHO~" comes the familiar Santa-like laughter from the gym entrance.  
  
"Anzai Sensei!" everyone choruses, bowing in respect.  
  
I was just about to shoot but decided I'd better show some respect. After all, it was thanks to this old man that I'm shooting so faultlessly now.  
  
"Sensei," I nod.  
  
Not surprisingly, he laughs. "HOHOHHOHOHO~ I see you're working very hard Sakuragi-chan,"  
  
"Hai."  
Ayako  
  
"Mitsui's teaching her how to make some three-point shots," Akagi explains as the others resumed their training while the two of them stood aside in the other court.  
  
"HOHOHOHOHOHO~" Anzai Sensei nods approvingly, "That's a wonderful idea. You're a good captain Akagi-kun."  
  
The tip of Akagi's ears turned scarlet. "Well, it was Mitsui's idea really. He said he wanted to train her the various different shots for the upcoming match with Ryonan."  
  
"Sou? HOHOHOHOHO~"  
  
Both Anzai Sensei and Akagi watched as Mitsui instructed an attentive Sakuragi the fundamental principals behind making a simple shot.  
  
I don't miss that hopeful look on Sempai's face.  
Mitsui  
  
The girl's got brains. She might understand better if I explained everything to her in terms of momentum, energy conversion, forces and dimensions.  
  
It might not make sense to any other person, but I'm sure Hanami knows exactly what I'm talking about.  
Sakuragi  
  
Right. So that's it? Simple really.  
  
"Go on," Mitsui urges me.  
  
I smile and accept the ball that he was offering. "Please excuse my first try if it misses. I need to practice."  
  
"Of course," he smiles back, in that charming way he has.  
  
Here goes nothing.  
  
Running all the theories and rules in my mind, I did exactly as I would in a physics experiment- correct angle, aim, posture, force, arm power.... I imagine the energy coursing through my body, leaving me at the tip of my fingers as it entered the ball, sailing away from me, and towards the net........  
  
Mitchy gives me a thumbs-up.  
  
The ball goes in.  
  
I gasp. "It went in!" I was trembling with joy at my success. "It went in!" I turn to Mitchy, who sported a broad grin on his face. "Did you see that?" I took his hands in mine and pumped them furiously as I jumped up and down in the air.  
  
Mitchy laughs and pulls me in for a hug. "I saw that."  
  
I pull away when something hit me. "Ne, Mitchy, how'd you know it'd go before it even graced the net?"  
  
Ryochin was running up to congratulate me, as was Ayako. Gori was watching me with the corners of his mouth slightly turned up. Anzai Sensei was laughing and the kitsune.........well, he didn't seem to care. My heart sank. I was hoping he'd seen that shot- but it didn't look like he had.  
  
"Nice one Hanami!" Miyagi praises me.  
  
"Sakuragi Hanami, you amaze me sometimes!" Ayako scolds me teasingly.  
  
I smile at them but turn to Mitchy, face serious. I really wanted to know.  
  
"Mitchy?"  
  
"It's called confidence Hanami. Confidence."  
Confidence, he'd said.  
  
Well, that made sense. How else could he have known that the ball would go sailing into the net? Even with all the calculations I'd done in my mind, trying to ascertain if I'd place my shot, I couldn't tell for sure till it actually happened. But he'd known, even before the ball came close.  
  
I've decided to pester him about it relentlessly till he elaborates.  
"Mitchy, tell me how you knew!" I ask him for the umpteenth time. I'd successfully placed 10 out of my 14 shots. It wasn't perfect, I wasn't perfect, the way I wanted to be, but I felt satisfied.  
  
He sighs. "Look, Hanami, if I tell you, will you promise to stop bugging me about it? I like you a lot but I need space to breathe all right?"  
  
I nod vigorously. I feel like a stubborn child, begging for candy and not going away till I'd got what I wanted.  
  
"I told you. Confidence."  
  
"Demo--" I protest.  
  
"You've done your best- your form was perfect, your angle, the force you exerted. The only thing left is to have confidence that you will score. That's all."  
  
My eyes widen.  
  
"Don't forget you promised," he reminded me gently as I open my mouth to ask another question.  
  
I clamp my mouth shut. A promise is a promise. And anyhow, I'll think over what he just said.  
Rukawa  
  
Sempai left, but not before giving the d'aho a quick peck on the cheek. He was in a hurry or he'd surely kiss her properly. I would. Actually, no, I wouldn't. I'd never be in too much of a hurry not to kiss the d'aho properly.  
  
She seems to be thinking something over. I don't think she's realized that we're the only ones left.  
  
In as steady a voice as I can muster, I say her name. "D'aho."  
  
Catching it, she looks up, her beautiful chocolate-honey eyes meeting mine.  
  
"Rukawa?"  
  
It took me awhile to register that she had actually called me by my name- so absorbed was I staring into her eyes, those deep, soulful eyes. Was there a hidden sadness there?  
  
I opened my mouth to say something- most likely 'd'aho', but she was looking past me now.  
  
"Can I help you?" she says.  
  
Slowly, I turn around, slightly annoyed at the interruption, only to find a boy. A boy from Ryonan.  
Hikoichi  
  
Unbelievable! THE Rukawa Kaede is standing only a few steps away from me! This is too good to be true! I scribble this down in my notebook, lest I should forget it.  
  
'Rukawa Kaede- Tall(never imagined him to be this tall), cold, piercing blue-eyes(not like Sendoh-san's which are always twinkling with mischief), fair-skinned(like white china), smooth complexion(like porcelain), well-dressed(in a black Tommy Hifilger shirt with a blue Adidas jersey on top, a pair of black Nike shorts, and a pair of classic Air Jordan shoes), rich(refer to dressing), has a beautiful girlfriend(very pretty! Sendoh-san would like her) and.......'  
  
I jerk my head up suddenly. The great Rukawa Kaede has a girlfriend? Now this is new!  
  
"Are you Rukawa's girlfriend?" I ask bluntly to the girl.  
  
I saw a flash of annoyance cross her face and she answers in a cold voice. "What's it to you?"  
  
I feel embarrassed. I tend to forget my manners sometimes.  
  
"Ano..sumimaseng... Ore wa Ryonan no Aida Hikoichi." I bow low.  
  
"Hnn." Rukawa snorts noncommittally.  
  
"What are you doing here?" she directs the question to me without waiting for me to straighten up.  
  
"Um, well, I'm here to..." I break out into a sweat. For a girl, she's really intimidating.  
  
"Spy?"  
  
"Um no, of course not," I gulp as I see her roll her eyes slightly at my pathetic defense.  
  
"So what are you here for then? To line-dance?"  
  
"Um, no, of course not," I say again. I'm so nervous I can't think of anything else to say.  
  
"Of course not. You don't look like the type who can line-dance. I guess you must be here to give us details about your school's basketball team," she says matter-of-factly, though her eyes are challenging me to rebuke her.  
  
"Um....."  
  
"Forget it. Get lost."  
  
I suck in a deep breath and tore out of the place before she could change her mind. Boy, that's one scary girl.  
Sakuragi  
  
He tore out of the gym as if dogs were at his heels. I can't help it. The look of terror on his face was really something. I start to laugh.  
Rukawa  
  
The d'aho is laughing. A soft, gentle laugh that sounds so melodious to my ears. Damn it. Why must this happen to me?  
  
She gathers her things and moves to leave.  
  
"Kitsune?" There. She's calling me 'kitsune' again. I must have imagined it earlier. "Ano, kitsune?"  
  
"What is it d'aho."  
  
"Was he from the Ryonan team?"  
  
"How would I know."  
  
"......"  
  
"......"  
  
"..jya then." She waves to me before jogging off into the night.  
  
Leaving me to close up the gym and keep the balls. Damn her.  
Sendoh  
  
Hikoichi called me while I was having dinner and started blubbering into the phone. He was talking at breakneck speed so I didn't really catch what he was saying. Erm, no. Scratch that. I couldn't understand a thing. His words were stumbling over each other in his excitement. I swear that if saliva could pass through the phone line, I'd be one wet person by now.  
  
After waiting patiently for 10 minutes for him to calm down and catch his breath (which doesn't seem likely to happen in the near future), I finally decided that enough was enough and that eating dinner had to be better than listening to him spewing nonsense.  
  
"Hikoichi," I say in my nicest possible way.  
  
"Sendoh-san?" he abruptly stops whatever it is he's going on about.  
  
"You're not making any sense," I tell him bluntly and hang up.  
  
Back to dinner then! I'm starving after the call.  
"Sendoh-san!"  
  
"Good morning Hikoichi. How may I be of help?" I say cheerfully. I'm a very morning person.  
  
"Rukawa Kaede has a girlfriend!" he blurts out.  
  
Huh? Who's Rukawa? More importantly, why would I care if he has a girlfriend or not?  
  
"And?" I smile at him. It never hurts to smile.  
  
"Just thought you might want to know."  
  
"No. I don't want to know, Hikoichi," I say in exasperation. Does he think everyone's like him- so nosy?  
  
"Oh. Okay."  
  
I feel a little guilty so I try to make it up. "Any useful new information about Shohoku? We're playing against them in 2 days."  
  
He brightens up immediately. "Of course. Let me check my notebook!" He flips the pages of his trusted notebook violently before starting to read out everything he had written.  
  
Sometimes I really hate having a big mouth and a big heart. 


	11. so THIS is the great Sendoh Akira? Ah

Sakuragi

            Today's the day of the game. The Ryonan team should be here any minute now. I see Haruko, Matsui and Fujii among the many spectators in the stands. Youhei and the others haven't arrived yet. 

            I can't help but feel a little nervous. As if sensing it, Gori comes over and gives me something that should pass as an encouraging smile.

            "Just play as usual."

            "Demo Gori…….I've never played in a match before," I reply, voice an octave or two higher. 

            "Just play as usual," he repeats.

            Mitchy comes swaggering over and throws an arm around my shoulder. 

            "What you have to do is to combine all that you've learnt- the shots, the passes, the dribbling………that's all there is to it," he tells me, squeezing my shoulder.

            "That's all?" I ask.

            "That's all," he smiles at me. 

"D'aho."

            I whirl around. I'm embarrassed to say this, but I've been hoping the kitsune would say something encouraging.

            "Don't foul up."

            What the--? 

            "Urusai kitsune! What makes you think I'll foul up?!!!!!" I glare at him, feeling more than a little offended.

            "Hnn."

            What did I expect? Hell would sooner freeze over before the kitsune would actually say anything nice.

            "I won't bother about your senseless remarks kitsune. I've got better things to do," I say to him acidly before stalking away from him and to Mitchy. 

            Damn him. He's toying around with me. I don't know if that night meant anything to him, but it meant something to me. And if he doesn't feel the same way, I can always make that night mean nothing. I do what I want. I'm not obligated to anyone.

            "So, Hana," Mitchy gives me a once over. He's started to call me Hana. Not that I mind. "We'll see how easy it is for you to shoot in a game."

            I snort. "No sweat Mitchy. I'll get 20 points at the very least."

            He laughs and replies with a mischievous grin on his face. "If you don't, you'll have to do what I want all right?"

            "And if I do?"

            "I'll do whatever you want." 

            I smile. "Deal."

Sendoh

            Damn it! I'm going to be late! Taoka sensei is going to have my head for this! I promised not to be late this time……………….who would have thought that my alarm clock would die on me? It usually survives my smashing…….but this morning, it stopped its persistent ringing when my fist connected with its face. I can just imagine Uozumi-san's reaction when I arrive………..

            WHY MUST I HAVE ALL THE ROTTEN LUCK?!!!!!

Uozumi

            I really shouldn't be surprised. I really shouldn't. What else can I expect of Sendoh?

            So I will not lose my temper at him later.

Taoka

            Where the hell is Sendoh?!! He promised that he wouldn't be late! We're already on the train to Shohoku………..the stupid boy better find his way there or else………..

Sendoh

            Damn it! They've probably left! There's no point going to the train station now………..the next train for Shohoku will probably come along in an hour or so……… how else can I get to Shohoku?  

            I know! 

            "TAXI!!!!!!!!!!!"

Uozumi

            We're walking towards Shohoku………I don't see that idiot Sendoh anywhere…………..he'd better be waiting in the gym or else………..

Koshino

            If stupid Sendoh is late and misses even a minute of the match, I swear I'll kill him.

Hikoichi

            Sendoh-san where are you? We're almost in Shohoku already!

Sendoh

            "Can't you go any faster?" I ask the driver.

            "Sorry, this is as fast as I can go."

            I shrug and lean back in my seat. Oh well. It's not like I didn't try. 

Ayako

            Ryonan's here! And right on time too! I marvel their punctuality! I only wish Shohoku would learn from them.

            "Akagi!"

            "Uozumi!"

            The two captains greet each other solemnly and exchange handshakes. Am I witnessing some sort of grave meeting or something? 

            "Taoka sensei," Akagi bows. All of us follow suit.

            "Anzai sensei! How have you been?" Taoka sensei greets Anzai sensei amiably.

            "HOHOHOHOHO~" laughs Anzai sensei, "I'm fine. Your boys look very well. Shall we begin?"

            Taoka sensei pales considerably. With much effort, he replies, "As you say so."

Sakuragi

            So I'm not a starting player. No fair! Why can't Megane-kun sit on the bench instead? How am I going to get at least 20 points if I don't play?

            More importantly, who is going to stop Sendoh?

            Speaking of whom……………which one is Sendoh? Surely the captain isn't…..that's Uozumi……….he looks a lot like Gori…….and the boy from the other day can't be him………….the one with that annoyed expression on his face?

            Somehow I don't think so.

            "Ne, Mitchy," I whisper to him as he stretches, "Which one's Sendoh?"

            "Hmm? Sendoh?" Mitchy looks around, "He's not here."

            "Sou da. He must be frightened off by me already," I joke, feeling a little disappointed. From what Mitchy had told me, and from what Ryochin had added on, this Sendoh sounds like one talented guy. I'd had looked forward to meeting him.

            Oh well.

Sendoh

            Finally! The cab pulls up outside Shohoku and I jump out immediately. No way am I going to risk coach Taoka's wrath. 

Ayako

            Everyone's taken position and we're about to throw ball when Sendoh Akira comes running in.

Sendoh

            "Sorry I'm late!" I grin sheepishly.

            Koshino, Ikegami and everyone else throw me death glares. That's okay- I'm used to it. It's the- -

            "SENDOH AKIRA! HOW DARE YOU TURN UP LATE FOR A MATCH?!!!!!"

            Ouch. I think I'm going to go deaf.

Sakuragi

            My ears prick up at the name. Sendoh Akira? 

            So THAT's the famous Sendoh Akira. The talented Sendoh Akira. The supposedly almost unbeatable Sendoh Akira.

            Well, he looks like a little boy to me- getting yelled at by both his captain and his coach. I feel sorry for him though he's the enemy.

Sendoh was ordered to change and they substituted a player off the team. 

            They've been playing for 5 minutes and already I've noticed something distinctive about him.

He may have looked like a little boy off court then, but on court…………….he oozes confidence. Not like Mitchy or the kitsune whose confidence are the extreme- Mitchy's gifted and knows it while the kitsune's ruthless and focused in his play. This Sendoh is relaxed. He's sure of himself and has faith in his teammates. 

I no longer doubt why Mitchy wanted me to guard him. Maybe I'm not a veteran player like the others, nor am I very big (I'm a girl after all), but I guess he's seen something in me that might set me aside. 

I'm stubborn. Very, very stubborn. 

And it's precisely because of that stubbornness that I've managed to live on my own almost half my life. 

            And it's going to be that stubbornness that's going to give Sendoh some trouble, I hope.

            "Ne, oyaji! When are you going to let me play? I've been sitting out the match for more than 10 minutes already!" I complain. Good grief- I sound more brainless as the days go by. Perhaps that's what hanging out with freaks do to you- you become one of them.

            "HOHOHOHOHO~ Patience now, Sakuragi-kun. You'll have plenty of time to play later," he laughs in that jolly way of his. Once upon a time, not too long ago, his response would have irked me considerably, but now, I've grown pretty much accustomed to it. Plus, he's my coach after all. I owe him my respect at the very least.

            "Hnn." I grunt in acknowledgement.

            "Sakuragi-chan, watch how Sendoh plays," Ayako says, her voice barely a whisper.

            My eyes sweep over the court and to the tall, spiky-haired player. He looks completely relaxed even with the kitsune guarding him closely. The smile that has been on his face since just now was still plastered on. He seems so……….carefree. Like he's completely enjoying the game and was not under any pressure.

            Of course, I can tell that this was not the case. He was heavily depended on and should he screw up, the whole Ryonan team would be at his neck. He doesn't show it though. What caught my attention the most was not the way he looked- but at the way the kitsune was looking at him.

            For some reason, the kitsune looks almost………….murderous. 

            "Ayako-san," I ask, eyes still trained on the pair, "Why is the kitsune staring at Sendoh like that?"

            She actually laughed. "I see you've noticed it too. Well, Sendoh is Rukawa's greatest rival."

            "How so?"

            "Well, when Sendoh was a freshman last year, he made headlines as the 'Super Rookie' of Kanagawa. This year, Rukawa's succeeded the title and he's not too happy being compared to Sendoh, much less having to follow in his footsteps."

            "Sou da."

            We fell silent as we watched them play. Then, I asked something that popped up in my mind.

            "Why doesn't the kitsune like to be compared to Sendoh?"

            "Oh," Ayako shook her head, "it's not just Sendoh. He doesn't like to be compared to anyone in general. He thinks he's the best."

            "Sou."

            I ponder that thought for a while.

Rukawa

            Stupid Sendoh. Why must I see his stupid smiling face? It's irritating to see that stupid smile on his stupid face. And why is it that I can't win over him? No matter how I try to shake him off, he always manages not to lose me. Whenever I try to shoot, he always blocks my shots.

            I swear that I'm not going to lose to him. I'm better than him. I know it. I'm the best and there's none better than the best.

Mitsui

            Is this supposed to be some private game or what? It sure feels like it. I mean, Rukawa and Sendoh seem to be fighting some private battle and they're not getting any points. I don't think it's Sendoh- it's Rukawa. I never knew him to be the offensive, aggressive type. 

            Well at least not to this extent.

Sendoh

            Oh, now I remember. This is Rukawa. The Rukawa that Hikoichi was talking about. I've a terrible memory. I can't seem to be able to associate names with faces. Let's see……..

            The captain's name is Akagi, that's for sure (Uozumi will not forgive me if I forget), the vice-captain's name is Kogure (EVERONE knows the Shohoku Saint), that's Mitsui Hisashi the MVP (I had him autograph my basketball) and Miyagi, one of the top point guards in the prefecture.

            I just can't seem to remember Rukawa. Maybe it's just him.

Sakuragi

            "Oyaji…………….." I begin again. I'm getting extremely restless already. He promised that I'd play and I want to play now!

            "Warm yourself up Sakuragi-chan," he tells me. 

            I perk up immediately. "Hai!" I chirp happily.

Taoka

            Coach Anzai called for a substitution. Kogure Kiminobu, the vice-captain was substituted off. I watch intently, wondering who would replace him. I scoff as I look at the other players. Shohoku's only hope was the starting players, and even Kogure wasn't of solid material. Their replacements aren't very dependable. This should be an easy win. 

            Hah. The substitute is a girl. All the more to our advantage. Coach Anzai must be losing his skills as a coach. 

            Wait.

            A GIRL?!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sakuragi

            I give Mitchy and Ryochin a smile. They wink in response and I don't miss that look on Mitchy's face. He wants to win that bet. I blush. I know him well enough by now, what he's like. 

            "Akagi, what is the meaning of this? We're having a serious match and I refuse to tolerate any nonsense!" my ears prick up at this.

            "Nonsense?" Gori's voice was very soft and silky. "Are you calling me nonsensical?"

            "No. Not exactly. But close enough. Stop joking around and be serious!" Ryonan's captain says, his eyes looking me up and down. 

            "And what makes you think I'm not being serious?" came the dangerous reply.

            Boss monkey flinched a while before answering, "One of your players is a GIRL."

            "And?"

            "And this is a………….a……..a boys' game!" boss monkey throws his hands up in exasperation.

            Well, pardon me for being a girl. I couldn't help being born this way you know.

            "Perhaps you would like to enlighten me on how your conclusion came to be?"

            Cool. Gori's being totally cool. 

            "There have been no indications that this game was strictly reserved for boys," he continues, staring at boss monkey square in the eyes.

            "But--"

            "Uozumi-san you're being very sexist here," Mitchy spoke up.

            I almost slapped my forehead. Trust him to be blunt.

            Boss monkey turned on his full glare at him.

            "Or are you afraid that Ryonan might lose to a girl?" he sniggers.

            Damn Mitchy! I could strangle him right now!

            "Of course not!" huffs Koshino.

            "Ryonan will not lose to Shohoku whatever the circumstances," replies Uozumi hotly.

            "Well, let's get on with the game then since Ryonan has so kindly agreed," Mitsui drawls, ignoring the murderous looks the Ryonan boys were giving him.

Rukawa

            "Oi Rukawa," Sendoh says.

            "What?" I snap.

            "Who's that?" without even glancing at him, I know who he's talking about.

            "None of your business d'aho."

            "Aw, come on, surely you'll tell me her name. Is she a freshman? I've never seen her before. What's her name?"

            I pointedly ignore him. The d'aho is mine and I'm not about to introduce her to this smiling fool if that's what he wanted. 

            "Come on Rukawa, tell me who she is," he persists in annoying me.

            I was about to open my mouth to tell him to shut up when Miyagi-sempai comes up and tells me to guard Ikegami.

            I was about to protest. I wanted to beat Sendoh. To show who's best. So I was about to open my mouth again to defy his instructions when he says, "Don't worry about Sendoh. Leave him to Sakuragi."

            Great. That makes me feel so much better. 


	12. the knocking down of poor koshino

To all those who reviewed, a million thanks. You deserve to be acknowledged individually, but I can't do it right now. The next chapter I will, I hope. ^^;;  

Sakuragi

"Hey," he says, a large smile plastered on his face.

            I frown and crease my brows. 

            "What's your name honey?" he asks.

            My brows crease further.

            "You don't have to be shy with me sweetheart. I won't bite. Well, of course, unless I can't help it," he laughs a little at his own statement.

            Lame with a capital 'L'.

            My frown deepens till it looks more like a scowl than anything else. I wonder how long he's going to take to notice that I'm not laughing.

            "What's the matter honey? I promise I won't bite. Really."

            What's up with him and his biting anyway? Man, this guy's dense. Or remarkably stupid. Either or. No, scratch that. He's both of that and probably more. He's terribly slow on the uptake it seems.

            I give up. There's no point scowling and pointedly ignoring him if he's not going to notice. I'll settle for just scowling then.

            And so I scowl like there's no tomorrow. 

            Finally, after an eternity, and after the cobwebs have started to magically appear on me, he notices.

            "You all right there? There something wrong? Your face is all…… weird."

            I give him a very crooked smile.

            "Well, it wouldn't be weird if you had noticed that I've been scowling at you for the last, say, five minutes?" 

            "You have?" he looks surprised.

            "Yes I have," I say sweetly. 

            "Well, why were you scowling for?" 

            I think that through a little, then shrug. "I don't know."

            He laughs.

Sendoh

            Of course I noticed her scowling at me, though I'm not sure why. Hell, I'm not THAT dense, nor am I remarkably stupid. Neither nor. In fact, I pride myself in being the ultimate bum- I don't do much but I still do relatively well. Well, enough to please the teachers so they won't breathe down my neck, anyway. Well, not that they can, since they have to crank their head up just to talk to me. Anyway, the pretty redhead had been scowling at me ever since she took over Rukawa what's-his-name. What did I do? All I ever did was ask for her name! It's not a sin is it? 

            Well, apparently it is- to her at least. 

            I know it's not the smartest thing to do, but since chicks always fall for it, I pretend to be dense, ignorant, and naïve, with skin an inch thick. 

Sakuragi

            I feel annoyed. This guy is laughing at me. AT me. Who does he think he is? 

            "Sendoh Akira."

            I stare at him and blush. Damn, I can't believe I actually said the last part out loud! This is embarrassing!

            "Oi Hanami!" Ryochin yells, "stop flirting and start playing! We're in the middle of a game if you haven't noticed!"

            Ehe. I haven't noticed.

            I dash forward immediately to receive the ball. And then I feel something rise up from within. 

            "TEME RYOCHIN!!!!! I'm not flirting!"

Ayako

"Hanami!" Ryota passed the ball to her as he dashed forward, after a fantastic defense by Akagi sempai.

            She caught it easily and made to shoot but Sendoh was already there, blocking her. She feinted to the right then headed left but he'd read her move. I could see her tensing as she realized that she couldn't shoot. 

            "Pass!" Rukawa signaled to her from behind Sendoh. Ikegami sempai was guarding him, and he seemed to be having a hard time doing so. Rukawa was a handful and so far, only Sendoh had successfully subdued him.

            Hanami threw the ball to him but Sendoh grabbed it in midair, grinned at her before dribbling past an astonished Sakuragi Hanami.

            Her astonishment soon turned to annoyance and she sprinted after him, Rukawa hot on her heels.

Sakuragi

            "D'aho."

            I turned to glare at him. 

            "Don't pass if you can't." 

            "You were waving at me to pass the ball to you!" I yelled at him accusingly, more angry with myself than at his insensitivity.

            "Sempai was nearer to you." He replied, eyes trained on Sendoh.

            "But you were asking for the ball!" I shot back.

            "You should have feinted."

            "How would I know that I was supposed to feint?!!!!"

            "You wouldn't. D'aho."

            I resisted the urge to stick out my leg and trip him. _'Relax Hanami. Ignore the kitsune. He's just being stupid and you can't blame him for that. He was born that way,' _I told myself, '_besides, you should concentrate on getting those twenty points. You can't lose to Mitchy. You know what a horny devil he is. How're you going to live this down if you lose?' _I was convinced. Whatever the dratted kitsune says I will ignore. I have more important things to worry about. Like Mitchy.

Sendoh

Whoa. This chick's fast. She's already caught up with me and I don't like the way she's eyeing the ball. Her arm sticks out but I've already transferred the ball to my other hand. Her brows crease in frustration again. Cute. 

            Ahah! An opening! Uozumi-san's giving Akagi a hard time. I shoot from where I am.

Ayako

The ball went sailing in. Uozumi pats Sendoh on the back while Akagi sempai barks at the team to run back for a swift offense.

            I can sense Hanami's mounting frustration. 

            "Daijoubu!" I call out to her, "we'll get the next one!"

            She nods and runs off, still frowning. 

Mito

"Are we too late?" I ask as we entered.

            Ayako turned to us. "No, you're just in time actually. Hanami's only started playing."

            "Has she scored?" asks Okusu excitedly.

            "Not yet."

            "Hah! You owe me 200 yen for that!" he stretches out his hand to claim the money from Noma.

            "That's not very nice!" Haruko protests. We'd met her on the way to the gym. Her class had ended late. 

            "But it's very fun Haruko-chan, you should try!" Takamiya grins at her.

            "Mou!" she harrumphs cutely, folding her arms across her chest.

            I shift my attention to the action on the court. Hanami was looking cross.

            "Is Sendoh giving her trouble?" I ask, already guessing the answer.

            "Well yes, but it's not so much that," Ayako confides, "she's being too hard on herself. She can't expect everything to go perfectly. It's only her first game."

            I shake my head. "Hana's like that. Once she's set her mind to something, there's no stopping her."

            "But still……." Ayako argues.

            "Nope. That's how she is, Ayako-san. We can't change that about her."

Sakuragi  
            ARGGGGGHHHHHHH!!!!! This is so frustrating! The ball's in my possession but there's no way I can get past Sendoh!

            "You're pretty good Hanami-chan," he says, eyes twinkling.

            Hanami-chan? Since when were we on first-name terms? Come to think of it, when had I even introduced myself to him?

            I scowl at him. "If I was good I'd be able to get past you already. Don't mock me."

            "I'm not!" he raises his hands in mock surrender. "You are good."

            "Flattery gets you nowhere right now," I tell him, eyes looking around frantically for an opening. There!

            I slip past him and dribble at top speed, seeing nothing but the basket. I was going to get my first goal. The first of twenty. Mitchy, I won't lose.

            "Go Hana-chan!" Takamiya and the others yell from the sidelines.

            I don't see them. I see only the basket and the board.

            "D'aho."

            I didn't hear that. No, I did not hear that. 

            "Hanami! Watch where you're--"

            THUD!

            I land on my butt, hard. What happened?

            "You all right Hana?" Mitchy asks, crouching down next to me. 

            Aside from the fact that my butt hurts like hell? I nod.

            He smiles and pull me to my feet. "Glad you're all right. The guy you knocked down isn't, though." He jerks his thumb at the boy who was lying unconscious on the ground.

            Did I do that? 

            Oops. 

Hikoichi

"Unbelievable! She knocked Koshino-san down! He's completely knocked out!" I scribble this juicy fact in my notebook.

Uozumi

"Koshino!" I shake him roughly. 

            "He's out cold Uozumi-san." 

I turn to Miyagi. "He's not out cold! He's just….. out!"

            Mitsui sniggers behind me. 

            "Ano….boss monkey….I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to run him down like that. Honest!" the girl peered out from behind him.

            I nodded mutely. This girl is a terror- running down Koshino like that. I had expected him to get out of the way when she didn't look like she was going to avoid him, but he had stubbornly stood his ground. The effect…..him lying unconscious, sporting a huge lump on his forehead. 

            "Get him off the court." I told the boys. "Uekusa, you're up."

            It was only when the game resumed that I realized what she had addressed me by.

            "BAKERU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Sakuragi

            "Ooooh. Another gorilla."

            Sendoh chuckled. "You'd better not let him hear that."

            "Why's that?" 

            "He's very sensitive about, er, his species," he laughed.

             "Oh, he doesn't have to worry. Gori's also of that family."

            "R-right." He makes a face. Cute. 

            I laugh. 

Miyagi

So Hanami has one foul already….less than ten minutes after entering the game. If she keeps this up, she'll be booted out before the game's over. 

            I try to tell this to her but she only bursts into laughter. Huh? What's so funny?

Sakuragi

            What in the world is Ryochin doing? He looks like another monkey the way he's waving his arms about. He's gesticulating frantically actually, but it looks awfully absurd I don't bother trying to figure out what he's trying to bring across.

            I realize there's someone else laughing. Sendoh's chortling at Ryochin's antics as well. My perception of him improves considerably. 

Sendoh

            Not only is Hanami pretty, she's also got a terrific sense of humor. She's much more fun to guard than um, what's his name again?

            Oh, right. Rukawa.

            Anyway, she's definitely my type. 

Rukawa  
            The d'aho is laughing in the middle of a game. I would have brushed it off if not for the fact that the smiling idiot was laughing as well. I hope he laughs himself dead.

Sakuragi

            Amidst my laughter, I saw Gori throw the ball in my direction. Recovering, I snatched it in mid-air possessively, and dashed ahead to score.

            Leaving a still-laughing Sendoh.

            Poor guy. I don't think he's realized what happened. Oh well. His loss, my gain. I leap to shoot a three-pointer, just like Mitchy had taught, and the ball heads towards the basket and I will it to go in.

            Thankfully it does and I give a whoop of joy. 

            "Did you see that Mitchy?! I scored three points! Hah! I scored THREE points!"

            He just laughed and shook his head. 

            "Nice Hanami!" Ayako cheered from the sidelines.

            "Sugoii Sakuragi-chan!" Haruko squealed, jumping around excitedly with Fujii and Matsui.

            "Hana-chan ganbatte!!!!" Takamiya and Noma yelled.

            "You're lucky today Hana!!!!!" yelled Okusu.

            Youhei just smiled at me encouragingly. I flashed them a peace sign before sprinting off for a fast break defense.

Sendoh  
            What the? 

            Sheesh, one minute she was laughing with me, the next she'd disappeared, with the ball, I must stress. What kind of reflexes does she have in that tight body? I sure want to know.

Rukawa

            D'aho. It was only one shot. You're overreacting.

Sakuragi

            I'm positively jubilant at my success. So it was only one shot, but it was **three **points damn it! Only seventeen more to go!

            I risk a glance at the kitsune. His eyes were already trained on me.

            "D'aho. It was only one shot." He reminds me none-too-gently.

            "Blah." I stick my tongue out at him. "You're just jealous."

            "D'aho." He sighs, "I scored thirty three points already."

            "Kitsune is jealous~~~ Kitsune is jealous~~~" I sang. I did not hear that. No sirree, I did not hear that.

            He sighs and shakes his head. "A d'aho will always be a d'aho."

            "NANI?!!!!!!!!!" 

Akagi

            Baka! She's already satisfied with herself?!!! I guess it's time to bring her back to earth.

            BAM!

            Hanami looks up at me, eyes filled with accusation.

            "Baka! Don't get carried away!"

Sakuragi

            Stupid evil gorilla. I swear I'll report him to the zoo. They'll be pleased to have him back after his escape eighteen years ago. 

            "You've got one foul, don't forget!" he reminded me. 

            I gave him a withering stare. "You're one to talk. You've got two."

            "Baka! The fouls I committed were intentional!"

            "So was mine!" I argued. 

            He looks at me in disbelief. Not that I can blame him. I mean, I don't even believe myself.

            "Captain!"

            Ryochin snaps him to attention. He only barely manages to smack the ball away from the net. 

            "Baka! Stop distracting people!"

            Of all the nerve! He started it! Good grief!

            "Go!!!!" he barks at me. 

            "Yare yare~~" but I comply, nevertheless.

            Everyone here is a nutcase. It's madness I tell you, madness! Even I am losing my mind! 

Ayako

            Five more minutes to play. Hanami's scored nine points so far- all of them lucky shots. Sendoh seemed to be distracted whenever she took the opportunity to score. But who cares. A point is still a point. 

            Plus, she has four fouls already- all of them involving running right smack into someone.

            She seems to have a knack for doing that.


	13. the path to enlightenment

Haruko

            Sakuragi-chan is playing so impressively! It's only her first game and already she's guarding Sendoh-san! Onii-chan said he'd rather Rukawa-kun guard Sendoh-san but Anzai-sensei had supported Mitsui-san's decision to let Sakurai-chan do the honors! I'm so happy for her!

Mito 

            I see her tactic now. It's really obvious actually, once you're aware of it. Hanami finds some way to distract Sendoh- usually by joking- then she takes advantage of his temporary distraction to score. Brilliant really. 

            Ike ike Hana.

Ayako

            Four more minutes…….don't foul up Hanami-chan! The boys need you!

            "She's handling Sendoh pretty well don't you think?" commented Kogure-sempai.

            "Hai. I'm surprised actually," I reply, "considering that this is her first time playing an actual game."

            "Well I guess we should be thankful she's such a fast learner, ne?"

            I nod in agreement. We should be indebted.

Sakuragi

            Less that four minutes to play…. That should mean…

            "Hanami!" I grabbed the ball Ryochin passed and made no attempt to evade Sendoh. 

            ………..approximately 2.7 points per minute (ppm). Not too bad. I'll just have to keep gaining possession of the ball and scoring, that's all. Shouldn't be too hard. I'll show that Mitchy!

            Turning my attention back to the game, I realized that Sendoh was already trying to read my next move. Fine. He probably wouldn't expect this.

            I leaped to score from half-court.

Akagi

            Baka! That's too risky!

Mitusi

            You learned well.

Ayako

            She didn't even take time to place the shot!

Sakuragi

            Let my aim be true! 

            The ball sails into the net in a perfect arc. I start to breathe again. I almost thought I wouldn't make it.

            "Hah! How many points was that? Five?" I boasted, catching Mitchy's eye.

            "Only two actually," replied Sendoh, whistling appreciatively, "nice shot."

            I smiled and cringed at the same time. "Thanks. Only two?"

            He nodded an affirmative. How unfair.

            "If you keep doing that, you'll get five points, maybe more every minute," he noted, staring at the scoreboard.

            "Really?" I asked, brightening up.

            "Yep. But don't think I'm going to let you pull it off again."

            I laughed. This Sendoh Akira wasn't too bad. Not bad at all actually.

            I kind of like him already.

Rukawa

            Slightly more that 3 minutes to play. Shohoku will win. Only one more point to go.

Sakuragi

            The kitsune scored the next point, placing Shohoku in the lead. That's nice, but I still want my 9 points due. No way in hell, or heaven that I'm going to let Mitchy win. Why did I agree to the deal in the first place? 

            I don't realize that Sendoh is no longer dribbling in front of me till too late. He scores of course.

            Drats.

Miyagi

            "Oi Hanami! Focus!" I yell.

            She nodded sheepishly.

            Silly girl.

Mitsui

            Tick Tock.Tick Tock.

Sakuragi 

            I glance at the score board. Shit. Less than a minute to go. ARGGGHHHH!!! O still need 9 points! Freeze the game! Freeze the game!

Sendoh

            Mitsui-san's in possession of the ball. He might shoot from the outside……no, he passed to Rukawa.

            "Ikegami!" I barked. 

            He nodded and tightened his defence. Only 21 seconds to go…. Don't let him through.

Takamiya

            18…..17…

Sakuragi

            "Pass! Pass!" I wave frantically at the kitsune.

Rukawa

            D'aho. As if I'm going to pass with Sendoh guarding her so closely. 

            Wait. 

            Why is the hentai guarding the d'aho so closely?

Noma

            12……..11…..

Sendoh

            Rukawa's not bothering to break through Ikegami's defense anymore. He seems more interested in glaring at me with those killer eyes of his.

Sakuragi

            Kitsune! What the hell are you doing? Time's a-wasting!

Ayako

            8….7…..6…..

Rukawa

Stupid Sendoh. Stupid, annoying porcupine.

Hikoichi

            We're going to tie the game with Shohoku! Koshino-san won't be too happy when he wakes up!

Kogure

            5……4…..

Sakuragi

            "Kitsune!!!!!!" I yell, unable to stand it any longer.

            As if he'd been waiting for me all the while, he coolly throws the ball over. I dash forward to score and….

Mito 

            3 seconds left…..2……

Sakuragi

            *SMACK*

            "Ara?"

            PHWWEEEEEEEETTT!!!!!!! The whistle blows. Or is it the chirping of those birds I see flying before me?

            "Hanami?" someone shakes me gently. 

            "Oi. You all right?" someone else asks, shaking me not-so-gently.

            Oh. The birds are flying wildly now. Poor birdies. They're gonna get dizzy soon.

            "Hanami! Oi! Answer me!" Mitchy's worried face suddenly pops up in front of e. he waves a hand in my face.

            The last thing I see are waving little Mitchy birdies flying frantically around.

            Poor things.

Ayako

            The poor girl passed out- not too surprising considering what happened. Anyone would pass out after running head on into Uozumi Jun. Hanami? She never stood a chance. 

            I'd better call an ambulance. Our girl doesn't look too good.

Haruko

            Poor Sakuragi-chan! I hope she's all right!

Matsui

            That was one loud smack.

Fujii

            Oh dear…..

Rukawa

            D'aho. She should have looked where she was going. Doesn't she ever learn her lesson?

Sendoh

            "That was unnecessary Uozumi-san," I told him reprovingly. 

            "What was?" he feigned innocence. 

            "You knew she wouldn't avoid you."

            "I took a chance."

            "You probably broke her skull."

            "Maybe."

            "How can you still be so calm?" asked Mitsui, eyes narrowing.

            "In times of emergency, it's essential that we remain calm," came the matter-of-fact reply.

            "You're just sexist," accused Mitsui.

            I nodded in agreement.

            "And you're both leaping to conclusions," growled Uozumi, annoyed.

            I was, needless to say, upset. Uozumi-san probably ruined my chances with her. Provided she's alive of course.

In the hospital…..

Ayako

            How is she, sensei?" I asked nervously.

            "She's in a coma but she's fine."

            "How can someone be in a coma and still be fine?" questioned Ryota skeptically.

            "It means she's not in and immediate danger," I explained. Still, it worried me.

            "Demo….." he began, but Akagi-sempai cut him.

            "She'll be fine," he said patronizingly, daring anyone to contradict him, "someone should stay to watch. Mitsui, you go first."

            Mitsui gladly obliged.

Mitsui

            "K'so!" I cursed as I stared at the motionless figure on the bed. "k'so!"

            She hadn't stirred the slightest bit since I'd started watching her 5 hours ago. it was already evening and my stomach grumbled- I hadn't the appetite to eat lunch nor dinner.

            "Damn it Hana! Why now?" Her normally expressive face, radiant and transparent, was now a mask of indifference. I heard of people smiling in their sleep but this….. she looked so eerily calm and beautiful it took my breath away.

            I couldn't stand it anymore. I want the noisy Hana back. So I slipped quietly out of the room, lest I should rouse her, and went in search of a doctor. Ironic really, since I didn't want to wake her up.

Rukawa

            I was assigned to keep watch of the d'aho overnight. According to Ayako-sempai's logic- the d'aho probably wouldn't wake up tonight so that was good. She wouldn't know that I'd kept watch over her and so wouldn't make a fuss of it. Obviously Ayako-sempai doesn't know anything about us.

            When I reached her ward, it was empty. Where had Sempai gone off to? How irresponsible. What if the d'aho woke up while he was gone?

            "Rukawa," came a voice from behind me.

            "Sempai." I greeted curtly.

            "I took off to look for a doctor…they all said the same thing- there's nothing more that can be done. We can only wait. Bunch of useless trash," he frowned, running a hand through his hair. "But I can't just wait you know. I want to do something, anything. I want her back. Look at her…. That's not Hana….." he motioned to the statue on the med in frustration.

            I grunted.

            "I'll come by again tomorrow. Got everything you need?"

            I shook my head.

            Glancing at the d'aho, sempai sighed heavily and left, the door clicking shut behind him.

            And I was alone with her.

            My eyes were starting to droop but I forced them open again for the _n_th time. No way was I going to fall asleep with the d'aho in my care.

            "Wake up soon d'aho," I whispered, "there are so many things we haven't done."

Kogure

            Rukawa was asleep when I arrived in the morning. 

            "Rukawa-kun, wake up. You're going to be late for school if you don't hurry on home," I shook the boy gently.

            He stirred and his eyes fluttered open. Fearing for my safety, I stepped hurriedly back out of his range.

            "Kogure-sempai?" he croaked, half-asleep.

            "Konnichiwa Rukawa-kun," I smiled, "there's school today remember? Go home and freshen up."

            He nodded and complied immediately.

            "Hang in there Hana," I whispered to he unmoving statue before turning to leave as well.

Mito

            The boys had planned to skip school and crash the hospital but I didn't think it was a very good idea. If I were the one in a coma, I wouldn't want them there. So I told them firmly, no- unless they wanted me to tell on them to the headmaster.

Okusu

            *sulking*

Takamiya

            "You're no fun Yohei," I grumbled.

Mito

            "This is serious. Hana's in a comatose state. We can't disturb her," I explained to them patiently. I missed her but I was going to wait till school let out. And I wanted to see her alone.

Haruko

            "Yohei-kun!" 

            He turned at my voice. 

            "How is Sakuragi-chan?" I asked. I'd wanted to visit her in the morning but onii-chan had insisted I didn't.

            He smiled sadly in response. "Don't know. I haven't seen her since yesterday."

            "Oh!" I gasped. Poor Sakuragi-chan! She's all alone in the hospital! I must see her later!

Rukawa

            I did go back home to shower and pack for school, just like Kogure-sempai had told me to, but I turned in at the road and retraced my steps to the hospital. To hell with school- I'm not about to leave the d'aho alone.

            She hadn't moved from her position and I sighed- both in relief in frustration. That meant she hadn't regained consciousness at all. Pulling up a chair, I sat down next to the bed, staring hard at her, willing her eyes to open.

            Wake up d'aho, I begged silently, please.

            Mitsui-san was both right and wrong about one thing- the d'aho didn't look like herself and yet she did. In my eyes I saw her completely exposed. In that slack-jawed, emotionless face, I saw who she really was. 

            Sempai might say she wasn't the d'aho he knew, but he'd forgotten how she was at the start- cool and aloof. 

            I reached out to stroke her face gently before planting a tender kiss on her cold, dry lips.

Sakuragi

            Ahah! What's this light at the end of the tunnel? Am I on the path to enlightenment or what? Or am I just dead? 

            How depressing. I haven't become the top swimmer in Japan yet, neither have I made it to Toudai. Pity.

Rukawa

            Her eyelids flutter and I look on in amazement as she opens her eyes. My breath catches in my throat as a smile spreads over her features and she looks at me.

            "D'aho," I say, relief flooding over me, "You're awake."

            She smiles brightly at me and attempts to sit up. Hurriedly, I come to her aid.

Sakuragi

            Who should I see the moment I open my eyes?

            Sendoh. That cute ace from Ryonan. What's he doing here? Perhaps he's here to guide me on my journey to attain enlightenment.

Rukawa

            I'm a bit confused here. The d'aho's smiling at me…… ah hell, I shouldn't complain. She's alive and awake. 

            I risk a smile at her.

Sakuragi

            Kakoii ne, Sendoh-san. You should smile more. 

Blue-eyed fox: you're right actually. Haha! 

Chris: I wouldn't be too sure….. *knowing smile*

Unchained: what's that? you think it's gonna be a clear-cut RuHana? o.O hahaha~ you don't know me that well then *laughs psychotically*

Devil: thanks. Hope you enjoyed this too. ^^

Yoko-chan: *huggles* a SenHana? Hmmmmmm……*smiles smugly*

Unquestionable: another one for SenHana then! Lol. thanks. My fic loves you too. ^^

Kowai-no-onna: chihihihihih? Was that laughter? O.O 

Renei: thanks! ^^

Kimeno-pebols: yep yep! As if he doesn't already! ^^ 

Caramel: aw, don't die yet….. the story's still not done! If you died, I'd lose one nice reviewer…. !-!

Asvaloth: Ack!!! *turns blue* okay, okay, I'm sorry! I promise not to have any more cliff hangers!!!! (if I can help it XD) 

Thanks to all!!!! *glomps* 


	14. AMNESIA!

Title: I'm just a girl  
Rating: General  
Pairings: RuHana, SenHana, MitHana [ehehehe…. So far but you never know! ^.~]  
Status: 14/? 

Author: Hagane ^^\/

A/N: ne…. I'm getting bored out of my mind these days so I've lots of time to think up plots for my fics while the professor(s)'s yammering on. LoL. I've already got the next few chapters done…. But I'm gonna take my time to load. Haha. So sue me. XP

Disclaimer: Am I even entitled to one? O.o

And here's what happened next- 

Sakuragi  
            "Ohaio gozaimasu Sakuragi-chan," beamed the nurse as she entered, "you're finally awake!"

            "How long was I out?" was the first thing I said. Not very polite but hell. It hurts to talk so I'm not going to bother with courtesy for the moment.

            "About a day or so," she smiled as she took my temperature and checked my pulse. 

            "Oh." Well, it wasn't as bad I'd expected. Still….an entire day out cold…… damn, I could have been out looking for a job!

            "You're very fortunate Sakuragi-chan," the lady commented.

            "Why?" I winced. Itai…. My throat hurts. My head hurts too.

            "Careful! Don't move around too much!" she warned, then, resuming her former tone, "you've got very good friends. This young man here has been watching over you like a hawk since last night. Before that, there was another young man who was worrying himself sick over you. I'd be awfully lucky if I were you." She winked at me.

            I blinked.

            "That's nice." I turned to 'Sendoh', "Thanks for caring."

            He nodded and looked away.

            I felt a little offended. From what I remembered of Sendoh, he wasn't the type who'd look away first. Oh well, perhaps I look really awful. Well, worse than usual anyhow. 

            "Can I have a bath?" I ask, feeling extremely conscious all of a sudden. 

            The old woman smiled and nodded as she removed the numerous tubes attached to my body. 

            "Was I hurt THAT bad? It was just….." I hesitated, and frowned, "actually, I don't quite remember what happened. 

            "No, it wasn't THAT bad but it was bad enough. You cracked your skull a bit."

            My eyes widened. Shit. A crack in the skull would mean that air would be able to enter, and if enters then my brain's neurons might get affected, and thus my brain's activity might suffer as a consequence…..so that means…..

            "ARGGGGHHHHH! I'm stupid!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

            Both 'Sendoh' and the nurse stared at me like I'd just lost my mind. Well I will if nothing is done and soon! I feel dumb already! Quick Hanami, what's 2+2? 

            "Are you all right dear?" asked the kindly old nurse, concerned. I pushed her hand away in agitation as she brought it to my forehead.

            "I don't have a fever!" 

            "I'm just checking dear."

            What's the point? The damage is internal! It's not like I'll develop a fever because my IQ plummeted all the way down! And I'm not all right! I'm stupid! How can I be all right?!!! 

            I didn't answer her, choosing instead to lapse into a thoughtful, angry silence.

            After reminding me to press the red button in case I wanted anything, the nurse left and I sulked at her departing back.

            "D'aho." 

            I glanced up. 'Sendoh' was staring at me. "What?"

            "What're you sulking for?"

            "Well, you would too if you were stupid!"

            "Maybe. But you should know better."

            *silence*  
            Then the meaning of his words sank in. 

            "TEME!!!!!!!" 

            The corners of his mouth twitched slightly. I started to smile at him. Somehow, 'Sendoh' wasn't exactly as how I'd remembered him to be, but I suppose my memory's hazy. After all, I'm stupid now. 

Rukawa  
            "D'aho."   
            She didn't even flinch at my insult. Maybe she's gotten used to it already. 

            "I'm getting breakfast," I mumbled, "What do you want?"

            She thought for a while before answering, "I think I'll pass. Thanks anyway."

            I nodded and left. D'aho.

Sakuragi  
            He came back with two packages. I watched as he placed them on the side table and opened them- two steaming bowls of porridge came into sight. Smells yummy.

            I glanced at him, surprised when he placed a bowl in front of me.

            "D'aho. Just eat."

            "Demo….."

            "Just eat. If you don't I will."

            Flushing, I mumbled an embarrassed thanks before tucking happily into the food. Yum! 

Rukawa  
            'aho. Does she really think I expect her to pay for herself? 

            The doctor came in while we were eating and did a quick check-up. He said that she should be able to go home in a week- as soon as that crack heals.

Sakuragi  
            A week? In hospital? Correction, a **private **hospital. Kami-sama, be merciful. Otousaan, okasaan, I'll be joining you soon.

Rukawa

            When the d'aho went for another routine x-ray check-up, I looked the doctor up and told him to charge the bill to my account. Oh, and to tell him to make sure the d'aho gets first-class treatment. Or else.

"Ne, can we go for a walk?" she asks, slipping her hand into mine and smiling up at me. 

"Hnn."

Sakuragi  
            Odd. I remembered Sendoh Akira as a chatterbox. Funny, he doesn't seem so chatty now.

            "Ano… daijoubu desuka?" I ask.

            He looks quite amused by my question so I'll take it that he's fine.

            "Why aren't you talking? You're being really quiet," I ask again, still suspicious. 

            He glances at me, then straight ahead. Annoyed at being ignored, I tug at his arm, hard. Drastic times call for drastic measures. And so I did the most drastic thing I'd ever done in my life.

            "You know," I blushed, "I kind of like you."

            He gaped at me, mouth the slightest bit ajar.

Rukawa  
            "You know……"She blushed, "I kind of like you." 

            I stared at her. Is this for real or is the 'aho just pulling my leg? The accident must have messed her up more than I thought.

            "Hey……say something," she insisted, looking up at me in that hopelessly adorable way she has. 

            Like what? I know I'm not very talkative but I'm totally speechless now. 

            I almost faint as she cuddles up to me. 

            "Ne?" she says, burying her face in my chest, "say something!"

            "Who are you?" I ask, holding her at arm's length.

            "Sakuragi Hanami?" she answers, confusion written all over her face.

            "Where do you live?"

            "Kanagawa?"

            "Your parents?" I know I'm being insensitive here but I need to know if this is really the d'aho.

            "Dead?"

            I stared at her hard. Her perfect face was creased into a frown as she wondered where I was heading with this. 

            "Ha…Hana?" I venture.

            A tiny smile and a slight nod. 

            Shit. I think I'm really going to faint.

Sakuragi

            What's the matter with him? He's behaving very queerly today. Why is he asking such silly questions? Does he think I've lost my memory or something? And yes, I'm stupid now, but not **daft**.

            I reach out a hand to touch his face.

            "Daijoubu desuka?" I ask for the second time that day.

            He blushes a little at my touch and nods.

            Smiling, I hug him tightly and, after a slight hesitation, felt his arms surround me as he closes what remaining gap there was between us. 

            Aha, so he likes me too. Wait till the kitsune finds out.

Sendoh

            "And if you mix the carbonic acid with the solution, you will see……."

            I tuned sensei's voice out and sighed pointedly. I wonder how Hanami's doing. She's one hot cutie I can't get out of my head.

Mito

            We rushed to the hospital as soon as school let out-with Haruko-san and her friends in tow. Guess who we met on out way there?  
            "Oi! Mitchy!!!" Okusu yelled at the older boy.

            "Don't call me Mitchy!" he shouted.

            "Where're you going Mitchy?" asked Takamiya.

            "The hospital…..AND DON'T CALL ME MITCHY!"

            "So, how was Hana yesterday?" I asked. We walked a little apart from the others.

            "She didn't stir at all….but the doctors said not to worry too much," he replied, a frown creasing his brow, "but that's what they always say."

            "True."

            We lapsed into silence- each preoccupied with our own thoughts.

            "Oi Yohei!" Takamiya's voice rang out, "Look who just walked out of the hospital!"

            I looked to the hospital entrance, as did Mitsui.

            And who did we see?

            "Rukawa?" asked Mitsui, startled to see him there.

            The said boy walked past us without so much as a glance except to acknowledge Mitsui.

            "Sempai." Was all he said as he passed.

            "Oi Rukawa!" Okusu called after the tall boy, "Were you here to see Hana?"

            The boy walked on coolly as if the question hadn't been directed to him. Typical. 

            "Maybe not. If he did, he should be pretty bruised," muttered Okusu, "imagine Hana waking up to find HIM in the same room as her."

            I basked in my secret knowledge of the supposed 'enemies'/

            _'You're so wrong you're right Okusu,' _I thought, amused.

Takamiya

            "Hana-chan!" I burst into the room only to find her lying peacefully on the bed. As least, I hoped she was asleep.

            Haruko tip-toed cautiously over and peered into Hana's face. And shrieked.

            "She's dead! Sakuragi-chan's dead! Oh! Oh!!!!!!" she burst into tears and flung herself into Matsui's arms, sobbing uncontrollably. Fujii trembled and had to lean against the wall for support.

            "She's not dead," snapped Mitsui, who had gone over to check, "she's just asleep. And stop screaming. It's enough to wake the dead."

            At this, Haruko burst into another massive outpouring of tears.

            "Stupid girl," muttered Mitsui, apparently annoyed.

            "I never knew Mitchy was so smart," I commented, "he knows how to check for the pulse!"

            "Baka!" his eyes flashed in annoyance, "I'm not stupid!"

            "And we thought you were!" Noma gasped, instigating him further.

            "Urusai!"

Mito

            They're making such a racket. If Hana was really dead before, then she should be very much alive now. A nurse popped in to tell us to hush up or get lost.

            "Tone it down guys," I warned, "we're in a hospital if you haven't noticed."

            Mitsui wisely stopped arguing and contented himself with tucking Hana in properly. 

            The others….. weren't as wise.

            "I'll see you later," I told them before they were ordered out, Haruko as well. 

            "Well Hanami, how are you feeling today?" I asked to the sleeping figure.

            "She's out of her comatose state so she should be fine," observed Mitsui.

            "How do you know?" I asked, curiosity taking over. Never had I thought Mitsui Hisashi vaguely intelligent!

            "I just know all right? Don't ask!" he grumbled.

            "Okay, okay," I backed down, "so she's fine right? She'll be all right?"

            "……. Yeah."

            We both stared at the redhead on the bed.

"She's so quiet," noted Mitsui after a while.

            "She's asleep," I reminded him of what he'd said earlier. 

            A flicker of annoyance crossed his face, then he sighed in exasperation. "I know, but that's not what I meant."

            "What then?"

            "Never mind."  
            The door opened and we both looked up. 

            It was Sendoh.

Sendoh

            "Mitsui-san," I smiled, "and you must be Hana-chan's friend."

            The other boy nodded. "Mito Yohei."

            "What are you doing here?" asked Mitsui.

            "What? I'm not allowed to visit her?" I asked, wounded.

            Mitsui mumbled something unintelligible then, "That captain of yours really did crack her skull."

            I winced. "Sorry."

            "Not your fault."

            All three of us fell silent. The atmosphere was so somber, so morose that I felt compelled to lighten the mood.

            "Hana-chan's a good player," I began, "when she's not knocking someone down of course."

            Mitsui shot me a reproving look but the Mito guy smiled.

            "She is isn't she?" he said, eyes trained on her.

            "Aa. I had some trouble with her the other day."

            "Thought you might," Mitsui spoke up, "she's a fast learner."

            We lapsed into another round of silence. Then,

            "When can she go home?" I asked, making conversation.

            "Don't know. No one's said anything."

            "You haven't been with her all the time?" I asked Mitsui, surprised.

            "I had to attend some mandatory session called **school," **he said dryly, and flinched at the disbelieving look I gave him, "look, I'm not THAT bad okay?"

            "If you say so," I consented grudgingly.

            "Rukawa was here though," remarked Mito, "he left when we came."

            "You mean he skipped school?"

            "Probably."

            "If I did that I'd be expelled in a flash," mused Mitsui aloud.

            "Yeah. You're already black-listed in school," agreed Mito.

            Mitusi shot him a death glare to which the other boy responded to with an innocent shrug of the shoulders.

            "Tell me," I ask, eager to avert any hostility, "what's Rukawa's relationship with Hanami anyway?"

            "Mortal enemies," said Mitsui immediately.

            "Really?" I frowned as I recalled the previous day's match, "they don't show it then."

            "What do you mean?" asked Mito, leaning forward in interest.

            'Well I get this feeling there's something more……" I questioned him, "you sure they're just that?"

            "If you're thinking of hitting on her then forget it. The babe's mine," said Mitsui possessively.

            "Hookay…….." but I can't quite shake this feeling that there's something going on between those two…… oh well, it doesn't matter actually, the chick's gonna be mine, whatever Mitsui-san says.

Mito

            Sendoh's right- he's really a lot more perceptive than he looks.

            Mitusi and Sendoh left around seven- Hanami still hadn't woken up, but just as I was about to leave, thinking she wouldn't be opening her eyes anytime today, she stirred.

            "Hana," I grinned.

            "Yohei?" she yawned and stretched herself, "you should have woken me up. To think you've been here all along and there I was sleeping like a pig."

            "Didn't want to disturb your beauty sleep. And pigs still look ugly Hana, no matter how much they sleep."

            A smile crossed her features. "You're leaving?" she asked as I made for the door.

            "Have to. I promised okasaan I'd be back for supper."

            "Sou……." She looked a little disappointed, "will you come tomorrow then?"

            "You needn't ask."

            She brightened visibly. "Sendoh's coming over later."

            "Sendoh?" I repeated, surprised. Didn't he just leave less than a half hour ago?

            She nodded, "he was here the whole day, and the night before that."

            That's odd. I remember him saying he'd come by after school again tomorrow…..but when did he promise her to come now?

            "Are you sure it's Sendoh you're talking about?" 

            Hanami nodded her head vigorously.

            "Ookay then….. we'll catch up tomorrow. Have fun with, erm, Sendoh."

            She smiled. "Of course I will!"

            Somehow……. A certain rookie comes to mind instead.

Rukawa

            The d'aho was staring out the window when I came in. So caught up in her thoughts was she that it was only when my arms encircled her from behind that she realized she was no longer alone.

            "D'aho. What are you thinking about?" I asked, nuzzling her neck.

            "Iie….betsuni," she whispered, half-turning so she could catch my lips with hers.

            The room was silent except for our breathing and occasional moaning as we lost ourselves in the kiss. The d'aho was so much more willing now- she even had the initiative to coax my lips open for her to enter. But then…. Something felt wrong….

            She broke the kiss and stared up at me. "Yohei came today."

            "Hnn."

            "I miss school."

            "… … … …" I reached down to tilt her head up and kissed her again.

Sakuragi 

            This kiss….. seems familiar…… 

            **He **seems familiar…..but……..

            I miss the kitsune. I can't remember how he's like already.

Rukawa

            She's still weak. When we were kissing…… she went limp in my arms and I had to hold her up.

            Maybe when she's stronger………

Mito

            I'd thought so. Hanami said Sendoh was coming, but when I called him, he said he was just about to go to sleep. An early sleeper apparently. 

            So it's not Sendoh who's visiting. Why would Hana lie to me?

Sendoh

            *yawn* I'm flattered. She's thinking of me and hallucinating.

Mitsui

            K'so! I can't sleep! I won that bet and I want my reward! Hana had better wake up so I can claim it. Or her. Whatever. She's mine by right! K'so!

Sakuragi

            zzzzzZZz..ZZZ……zzzZz…… 

            …………kitsune…………


End file.
